Pokemon: Best Wishes
by DisasterMaster445
Summary: Decided that after seeing the first subbed episode of Pokemon: Best Wishes, that I'd make a fic for it. The story is nearing its climax and the Unova League Tournament is getting close. Come enjoy the exploits of Ash Ketchum and Buki and Masuku Shiyousha as they travel and try to save the Pokemon world from the twisted ideals of Team Plasma and their king, N.
1. The Samurai and the Wrestler

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

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**Hey y'all, it's DisasterMaster445 here. I'm reposting a lot of the chapters, taking out some things that didn't flow right, and changing all the Pokemon names, places, and stuff like that to English so they're easier to follow. Please let me know if I miss anything.**

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**Chapter One: The Samurai and the Wrestler**

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Outside Professor Juniper's Lab in Nuvema Town

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Two boys stood a few miles away from the beginning of their journey. They could see the Lab in the distance, and could see the giant frigging black cloud over it. It was releasing many bolts of blue lightning. They'd run into a boy named Trip coming from the lab, and he'd said nothing about the cloud.

"Damn. That cloud's massive." remarked the older boy. His name was Buki Shiyousha. He was a fourteen year old, and had journeyed around the Pokemon World for the past four years of his life. He was tall for his age, topping almost 5'8", and had long, messy brown hair. It grew shaggy in the front, but was tied in a waist length ponytail in the back. He wore a dark grey kimono shirt, with mesh underneath, and a pair of light blue baggy pants. There was a bright orange sash tied around his belt. In the folds of the sash was the sheath of a short bladed katana. Also hidden in the sash was another belt that held his Pokeballs. He had a team of six, made of Pokemon he'd caught in all the regions he'd been to. He wore tan sandals.

"Yeah…I've never seen anything like it." said the young one. He was just starting on his journey, and was going to get his first Pokemon with the escort of his brother. He was at a height of 4'10", with his brother's hair, but cut really short. His name was Masuku Shiyousha. He wore an orange tank-top, and a pair of red pants, like a wrestler would wear. On his feet were a pair of black slip-in shoes.

They began to run toward the lab, just as the cloud let loose a massive bolt of lightning into the metal tower on top of the tall building.

"Holy (CENSORED)! What the hell was that?" exclaimed Buki. He and his brother stopped and stared, slack-jawed. Their expressions quickly transformed to horror, as they beheld the cloud again.

The deep black cloud had suddenly begun to thin out, and turn to a deep grey. Inside it, you could just make out a massive black shape, flickering with blue electricity. The brothers were much closer now, and the creature turned one red eye toward them.

Suddenly, twin bolts of blue lightning struck the ground in front of them. They hit the ground and waited for the dust to clear. When they looked up, they were surprised to find that the cloud, and the horrifying shape inside it, had vanished completely, and without a trace.

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In the Lab, Almost an Hour Later

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Buki and Masuku walked into the lab apprehensively, having spent the last hour trying to talk themselves into going into the building that still let off a few brilliantly blue sparks occasionally. Buki wasn't one to scare easily, but this was like nothing he'd ever seen before. It was chaos outside, as everyone ran around, trying to find out what had happened. Many citizens asked the boys what they'd seen, but they weren't foolish enough to repeat what they'd saw in the cloud.

So, as they walked in, they looked around, trying to make sure they wouldn't walk under anything the lightning had affected. Strangely enough, the lightning hadn't seemed to do damage to anything. They made their way to the actual lab part of the building, where Professor Juniper was just finishing the last tests on Ash Ketchum's Pikachu. The little rodent was running around like normal, and had even, on Ash's command of course, tested it's electrical moves out on it's master.

"That settles it. There're so many new Pokemon to see, and there're new badges to collect. I'm gonna start a journey." Said Ash as the two boys walked in.

"Well, it _is_ you, Ash. The Professor and I expected you to make a journey." Said Ash's mom, Delia Ketchum. She was standing with Samuel Oak, the Pokemon Professor.

"I'll make sure to take good care of your Pokemon, so you have nothing to worry about." said the Professor.

Then, the occupants of the room noticed the boys. Professor Juniper's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Buki! It's been so long since you've been in Isshu. And I see you brought Masuku to get his first Pokemon as well." She walked over to a table that had two Pokeballs, a small box holding five more Pokeballs, and a Pokedex. It was a small handheld device that had a screen like a phone, that you could slide up from behind.

"Hey, umm, don't you think you're a little too calm considering what happened earlier?" Masuku asked. Buki shot him a glare that should've shut him up, but her ignored his elder brother.

"What do you mean?" asked the Professor, trying to dodge the question. She was now looking expectantly at Masuku. He began to talk again only to be interrupted by his brother.

"Quiet!" "No, brother. I'm sure they know something about it. They must've seen that horrible shape too."

"What? You say Zekrom?" asked the astonished Professor.

"What's a Zekrom?" asked the youngest brother. He looked to Buki, who wore a terrified expression on his face. "Buki? What's wrong?"

"You mean…" Started Buki. His words caught in his throat. He began again. "You mean to tell me that _monstrosity_ was the Legendary Zekrom?"

The Professor nodded. Then Ash spoke up. "I saw it at the harbor too. It struck my Pikachu with lightning, and then it couldn't use it's electric attacks."

"So then it showed up here too?" Buki inquired. More nodding. "And you plan on going off by yourself, to make a journey across the land where Zekrom reigns supreme, when he's clearly following you?"

"What do you mean he's _following_ me?" Ash asked. Buki face-palmed.

"Aren't you the Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region?" A nod. "Didn't you hear the news while you were on your way over here?" They shook their heads. "Well, I just arrived from Kanto last week, so I was still getting news updates. A huge storm hit Pallet yesterday. No rain, just massive amounts of lightning. _Blue_ lighting."

Ash, Oak, and Mrs. Ketchum all looked toward the cloud had been. "Professor," Mrs. Ketchum started, "We need to go back to Pallet." She turned to her son. "Are you coming with us?" It was a stupid question, but she had to ask.

"If Zekrom is really following me, I have to know why. Besides, there are so many new Pokemon here, and there are new badges to get. That means new challenges."

"Well then, we'd best be on the move. Call the lab when you get a chance Ash." Professor Oak told the boy. He and Ash's mother left to go back to the ferry.

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"Well, let's get you a Pokemon, huh Masuku?" asked the Professor. She walked to the table. "We have Oshawott and Tepig left. Snivy was taken by a trainer named Trip just an hour and a half ago."

She reached for the two Pokeballs, but Masuku spoke up. "I want Tepig." The Professor picked up the ball and gave it to Masuku.

"Tepig, I choose you!" he cried as he threw the ball. It opened in a flash of bright light, and the Fire Pig Pokemon was revealed. Tepig slowly padded back to Masuku, who kneeled and let the Pokemon sniff his hand. The Professor then handed Masuku five Pokeballs, and the Pokedex. Then, she handed the same items to Ash.

"Aren't you getting anything?" Asked Ash to Buki. Buki shook his head.

"I've already been on my journey. Instead of starting here, I got my first Pokemon, was given another, and then went straight to Sinnoh. Then, I went to Hoenn, then Johto, and finally Kanto. Now I'm back here." He explained.

"So, you've been to all the Championships?" Asked Ash. Buki nodded the affirmative.

"Will you battle me?" Ash asked. "I want to hone my skills before I take the Gym Challenges."

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The Professor decided to referee. They were outside the lab, in the back, standing on Professor Juniper's battlefield.

"Alright, this will be a one on one battle." The two trainers got set on the edges of the dusty field.

"Alright Pikachu, let's show 'em how we battle!" The yellow mouse dashed onto the battlefield.

Buki reached into his obi, and pulled out a Pokeball. "I'll wow you with _my_ first Pokemon." He threw the ball. "_Go, Dewott!_" "Alright Pikachu, start with Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran forward, leaving a silver streak behind it. As it neared Dewott, it began to move quicker. Pikachu rammed into Dewott's stomach, moving him back a few inches.

"Dewott, use Razor Shell!" Futachimaru grabbed the shells on it's hips and they began to glow yellow. Futachimaru brought them down hard on Pikachu's head, leaving a blue trail of light behind them. The blue otter-weasel leapt backward, and placed his shells back on his hips.

"Whoa! What was _that_ move?" Ash asked. "It's Dewott's Razor Shell. It's a powerful move, isn't it? Just ask your Pikachu." Ash looked to his partner. Pikachu was breathing hard after the powerful hit.

"Alright. Time to pull out all the stops, huh Pikachu? Use Volt Tackle!" "Pika-pika!" The mouse ran forward at an amazing speed. It began to let a powerful static charge escape it's red cheeks. The charge eventually became a massive build-up of electrical energy that engulfed the mouse Pokemon.

Pikachu closed the distance in seconds and was almost to Dewott before Buki gave a command. "Dodge!" Dewott gracefully front-flipped over Pikachu. "Now! _Razor Shell!_" In the apex of Dewott's flip, the otter-weasel brought the shells down on Pikachu's electrified body. The collision caused an explosion. Pikachu was smashed into the ground, and Dewott was thrown further into the air, landing six feet away from Pikachu. The two struggled to their feet, panting and bruised.

"Dewott, you ok?" "Dew!" "Pikachu?" "Pi-Pikachu!" _One last attack._ That was the thought passing through both trainer's heads.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" "Dewott, Aqua Jet!" Pikachu loosed a giant blast of thunder, while Dewott flew through the air inside a bullet of water. Dewott moved through the air so quickly that he hit Pikachu just as the shot was fired off. The bulled hit Pikachu, and both were struck by the bolt that was intensified by the water.

The two fighters tried to stand one last time. Pikachu got onto it's four paws, and Dewott made it to his knees. Dewott had a spasm and fell flat.

"Dewott is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" Announced Professor Juniper. Buki ran to his fallen partner.

"Dewott! Are you alright?" Dewott lifted his head. The defeated Pokemon struggled to his feet. He gave a salute to his master. "Wott."

"You did well. Dewott, return!" called Buki, sending Dewott back into his Pokeball. He walked over to Ash, who was celebrating with his battered partner.

"That was an amazing match. Listen. My brother and I are also gonna go for the Unova League. You're a tough trainer. I've faced some real tough trainers before, and the Unova League is full of the best. We need to train each other. So, how's about we go together?" The boy thought about it. "How 'bout it Pikachu?" "Pi-Pikachu!"

"Ok. We'll go together. But, if you gave me that much of a challenge, how'd you do in the other Championships?"

"Here, let's go back to the lab. I've got something to show you." They headed back inside.

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**There was the first chapter! Make sure to tell me what you thought! I've got plenty of ideas. In fact, here's a preview of the next chapter.**

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"_Blaziken, finish this up with an Overheat!" Commanded Harrison. The Blaze Pokemon sent a fiery corona at Dewott. The Starter Pokemon crumpled to the ground._

"_Dewott is unable to battle! Blaziken is the winner!" cried the referee. The scoreboard blacked the color out of the circle featuring the otter-weasel._

"_You did well Dewott. Return." Said Buki, replacing the Pokeball under his obi. He pulled out another. "My last Pokemon." remarked Buki. He threw out the Pokeball. "Go, Fraxure!"_

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**Alright, so there you go. Preview of the next chapter. Props to anyone who knows who Harrison is. He's a character that Ash has fought before. One of the only trainers that's managed to beat Charizard. Also, the reason for the Italics is well…it'd be giving to much of the story away. Just wanted to draw attention to it.**


	2. Buki's Skill

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

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**Second chapter redo. Let me know if anything didn't get fixed.**

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**Chapter Two: Buki's Skill**

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**Prologue**

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Buki led Ash and Masuku to the back rooms in the lab building. They walked into a living room. All the walls were covered in achievements by the trainers that Professor Juniper met at the start of their journeys. One full wall had pictures of Buki and his Pokemon in the various competitions he'd participated in.

"Alright. So, that," Buki began, pointing to a picture of him and his Pokemon in what was clearly the Pokemon League in Sinnoh, "Is my first Championship over in Sinnoh. Made it to the top twenty." He pointed to the picture next to it.

"This was me the next year, over in Hoenn. I got to the top twelve in Ever Grande." He looked to the next and last pictures. "That one there is last year, and the last one is from two months ago. Johto and Kanto." He looked around. He spotted what he was looking for, and grabbed it up. It was a videotape. "This is the tape for the final match of the Indigo Plateau. It was me and this dude from Hoenn named Harrison." Ash's eyes widened.

"Did you say Harrison?" Nod. "I faced off with him at the Johto League Silver Conference. He was really strong. He beat me, and then lost in the next round." Intrigued, Buki popped the tape into a TV that waited nearby.

"Watch." He said as the tape flickered to life.

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_**Part I: Icy Darkness vs. the Stretchy Fighter!**_

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_They were in the forest battlefield. On the red side Buki stood weary but ready. Harrison stood at the green side, with a tired confidence. The referee was impartial, and stood in the middle off the field. He raised his flags._

_"This will be a six on six Championship battle! The winner here will go on to face the Elite Four! You can substitute your Pokemon at anytime! Are both trainers ready?" Harrison and Buki both nodded. "Pokemon League Championship: _Begin_!" Cried the ref, dropping his flags to his sides._

_"Go, Weavile!" cried Harrison, throwing the Pokeball. __"Weavile huh? Dark and Ice. Best for the job would be…" He pulled a ball from his obi. "Go, Hitmonlee!" __"Hn. Just because you have the type advantage doesn't mean you'll win!" proclaimed Harrison. "Weavile, Blizzard!" Harrison's Weavile opened it's mouth and let out a huge storm of icy wind straight at the Kicking Pokemon._

_"Dodge it Hitmonlee!" Hitmonlee leapt over the attack, flipping in the air. "Now, High-Jump Kick!" In the middle of the flip, Hitmonlee dropped from the sky, directly over Weavile. Weavile tried to dodge, but Hitmonlee stuck his leg out, and dropped it like an axe. His hardened foot slammed onto Weavile's head, and forced a crater into the ground. Weavile bounced up once, twice, and landed hard. It didn't get up._

_"Weavile is unable to battle! The winner is Hitmonlee!" cried out the ref dropping the red flag to his side, signifying Buki's win. On the scoreboard, Weavile's dot was dimmed._

_"Weavile, return." Harrison commanded. "You did well." He remarked to the unconscious Pokemon. "Have a good rest." He pulled out his next Pokemon._

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_**Part II: Unexpected Ending! Psychic vs. Fighting!** _

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_"Go, Hypno!" Harrison called out. __"Second match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Hitmonlee vs. Hypno! Begin!" called the ref. Harrison began the action quickly._

_"Hypno, Yawn!" The yellow Pokemon opened it's mouth wide, and emitted a sound wave, knocking Hitmonlee into a deep sleep. "Now Psychic!" Hypno swung it's pendulum, and his hands began to glow with a blue light. The same light surrounded the sleeping Hitmonlee, and began to throw him across the meadow field. He was slammed into the ground multiple times, until Buki thought he'd be unable to take anymore. Just when he was about to return the Kicking Pokemon to his Pokeball, when he woke up. He shot a look to his trainer, and when he hit the ground again, he was on his feet in an instant._

_"_Go, Hitmonlee!_" Buki roared. "_Blaze Kick!_" It wasn't a move that a lot of Pokemon could learn. There were only two Pokemon that could learn it, and both of them were in the stadium at that moment. In any case, Hitmonlee made his way across the entire meadow to get in his attack. This move was their trump card, so obviously they'd come up with a plan to make the move hit, even if they had to make some serious tracks to make it hit. Already Hitmonlee's legs were beginning to stretch. That was the ability of Hitmonlee's body. The muscles in his legs could expand and contract at will, meaning he could cover vast distances in short amounts of time._

_Hitmonlee closed in fast. Hypno was already in the process of dodging, but he couldn't move fast enough. Hitmonlee was still ten feet away when he swung an extended leg. The leg moved so quickly that it caught fire, and whipped across Hypno's back. Hypno was knocked far away, and landed in a heap on the grass. It managed to stand up, but sustained a major burn._

_"Psycho Cut!" called Harrison. Hypno spun its pendulum around on it's index finger, and it glowed purple. It slashed the pendulum in Hitmonlee's direction, sending a purple blade of Psychic energy._

_"Move!" Buki roared to his Pokemon. "It's no use." Harrison told the irate teen. "These Psychic energy blades will follow you to the ends of the Earth." To show the point, Hitmonlee jumped right over the blade, and it curved around, slashing him up his chest. It left a deep purple colored bruise, and Hitmonlee's eyes rolled back into his head. Hypno's burn flared up, and he fell back. _

_"Hitmonlee and Hypno are unable to battle! No winner!" Both dots dimmed out. Buki and Harrison returned their respective Pokemon. "Harrison's down two, and I'm down by one. Four to five left." Thought Buki apprehensively. It was only by luck that Hypno had been taken out too. Buki reached into his obi once more. Harrison pulled out his Pokeball first, and threw it out._

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_**Part III: One-Hit Battle!**_

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_Harrison hefted his third Pokeball. "Go, _Rhyperior_!" __"Go, _Crawdaunt!_" Buki called, also throwing his third Pokeball. __"Third match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Rhyperior vs. Crawdaunt! _Begin_!"_

_"Hn. I'm ending this one quickly!" Harrison boasted. "That's what _you_ think!" Buki retorted. They called their moves at the same time._

_"_Horn Drill/Guillotine!_" They cried in unison. Both Pokemon rushed forward. Rhyperior had both horns spinning at an amazing speed, while Crawdaunt had both claws glowing blue-white. Both moves were one-hit KOs. It all depended on who hit whom first. Rhyperior slammed its arms down on top of Crawdaunt, but the Rogue Pokemon grabbed them in its glowing claws. It was fully intent on throwing Rhyperior, and ending it there, but Rhyperior jammed both horns into Crawdaunt's armor. It drilled until the armor began to crack. Crawdaunt broke away, and stumbled toward Buki. Its armor began to crack, and drop off him in pieces. Then, Buki and the referee noticed Crawdaunt's eyes. They were unfocused. Crawdaunt was still trying to function and battle, but it was already unconscious._

_"Crawdaunt is unable to battle! …The winner is Rhyperior!" then, the ref called a medical team to Crawdaunt's side. Buki handed over the injured Pokemon's Pokeball, and watched them take his partner out of the arena._

_Buki looked on with rage. He grabbed his next Pokeball. "We've gotta get this one." At least Harrison looked miserable for the pain that he'd put the Rogue Pokemon through. Rhyperior on the other hand looked smug, and completely uncaring._

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_**Part VI: Revenge! Fighter's Cousin vs. the Rock-Solid Offender!**_

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_"Alright. That's fine. _Go, Hitmonchan_!" Buki leveled a glare at the Hoenn native. __"You're screwed. My Hitmonchan has the ability Iron Fist. It boosts the power of all punching attacks."_

_"Fourth match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Rhyperior vs. Hitmonchan! _Begin_!"_

_"I'm sorry, but I'm going to win this! Rhyperior, Horn Drill!" The horns began to whirl again, and Rhyperior charged at Hitmonchan._

_"Damn it, I don't think so! Hitmonchan, Close Combat!" Hitmonchan moved forward, using its speed to get in close. It unleashed a flurry of bone-shattering punches. Rhyperior moved back a little with each punch. At the end, his horns stopped spinning. It had to pause for a moment to regain its strength and momentum. While Rhyperior had to stop, Buki called the next move._

_"Hitmonchan use Focus Punch!" Hitmonchan knelt down and began charging energy into his right glove. Harrison looked worried._

_"Rhyperior! Get him before he finishes that move! _Horn Drill_!" The large Pokemon ran forward, intent to end the match right then and there. As it lowered its head during the charge, it was only feet from Hitmonchan. As it got close enough, Hitmonchan leapt up, and right-crossed with all the focused power. The hit smashed into Rhyperior's horn, but whenever Hitmonchan punches, it spins its arm for more power. His arm rotated in the opposite direction of the horn, causing an even more powerful reaction. Rhyperior was blasted straight off its short legs, and it rolled far away from Hitmonchan. Rhyperior forced itself onto its feet, and stood ready._

_"Rock Wrecker!" Harrison cried, trying to keep it long distance. Rhyperior put its hands together, and small chunks of gray stones came out of the holes on its hands. They formed together into a large gray rock that was outlined in red. The red outline faded and Rhyperior threw the rock at Hitmonchan._

_"Hitmonchan! Counter!" Buki said smugly. Hitmonchan glowed with a red light, and the rock bounced off, hurtling back to Rhyperior at twice the speed and power._

_"Now! Move in and use Mega Punch!" Rhyperior had to pause after the rock based attack, and wasn't prepared for the powerful punch that slammed right into its face. After the hard, vengeful battle, Rhyperior tumbled to the ground._

_"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Hitmonchan wins!" Rhyperior was returned to his Pokeball, and the dot with his picture in it dimmed. It was now three to three, with three more Pokemon each. Harrison pulled out another Pokeball, and let it fly._

_"Go Vigoroth!"_

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_**Part V: Metal Bug vs. the Energetic Sloth!**_

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_Buki knew that Hitmonchan was weakened by his fight. Even though he wasn't really hit, most Hitmonchan needed to rest after each battle they participated in. Besides, Buki knew that Vigoroth would defeat the Punching Pokemon without much of a problem._

_"Hitmonchan return!" He called. He stored the Pokeball back in his obi, and pulled out the next one. He threw it out.__"Bisharp! I choose you!" _

_"Fifth match of the Pokemon League Finals! Vigoroth vs. Bisharp! _Begin_!" Vigoroth began jumping around, quickly making it's way forward._

_"Devastate!" Harrison commanded. Vigoroth opened it's mouth and let loose a billow of flame, shooting straight toward Bisharp._

_"Dodge it!" Buki called out. The Blade Pokemon moved quickly and quietly, like a ninja. It moved in very close, very quick. "Giga Impact!" Bisharp slammed his gloved fists together. Orange streaks appeared around him and he ran forward. Purple energy surrounded the orange streaks, and Bisharp's speed got a massive increase. He closed in, and slammed a punch into Vigoroth's stomach. The sloth was knocked off it's feet, and landed a few feet back. Bisharp was stopped dead in its tracks at the point of impact. Orange sparks burst all across the Blade Pokemon's hard carapace._

_"Slash Vigoroth!" Vigoroth moved forward, with its wicked black claws glowing ominously. The claws were brought down, striking two deep rivets into Bisharp's helmet. The Blade Pokemon crumpled, and laid still for a moment more before springing up with Buki's call of "Iron Head!" Bisharp's body became surrounded by a white aura, making it seem black and white, and it slammed its body into Vigoroth._

_Vigoroth recovered from the move quicker than anticipated, and Harrison answered with "Hammer Arm!" Vigoroth's arms glowed, and He slammed them into Bisharp. The Blade Pokemon flew across the field, and dug a trench with his body._

_"Bisharp is unable to battle! Vigoroth wins!" Cried the referee. Buki returned Bisharp to his ball, and replaced it in his obi. He pulled out his next one._

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_**Part VI: Middle Dragon vs. The Energetic Sloth!**_

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_"Go, Fraxure!" __"Sixth match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Fraxure vs. Vigoroth! _Begin_!" called the ref as he dropped the flags for the sixth time._

_"Vigoroth, Focus Blast!" Vigoroth swung an arm back, and an energy ball charged up. The sloth threw it with impressive speed toward the Axe Jaw Pokemon._

_"Fraxure! Use Dragon Pulse!" Fraxure opened its mouth and a turquoise ball of energy appeared in front of it. It fired the ball at Vigoroth when the Focus Blast had only traveled a few feet. There was an explosion as the attacks collided. The smoke and dust covered the trainer's field of vision. _

_"Fraxure! Dragon Rage!" an orange sphere of flame roared into the sky, thinning the smoke. Vigoroth, who was MUCH closer to the explosion than Fraxure, was thrown nearly clear of the smoke. With it thinning, you could see the sloth standing to its feet, looking very tired, but determined. _

_"Go." commanded Harrison. Vigoroth moved in quickly. Fraxure was ready for action. Then, Harrison gave another order. "Devastate!" Vigoroth jumped up, to cover more distance as well as to eliminate all Fraxure's escape routes. The sloth loosed his huge burst of fire, and Fraxure took a direct hit. The Axe Jaw Pokemon staggered out of the flames as Vigoroth came up behind it._

_"Slash!" Called Harrison. "_Dig!_" Cried Buki. Fraxure was in the ground before Vigoroth could attack. "Now, use Devastate on the hole!" The fireball zoomed into the hole, and swarmed toward Fraxure._

_"_Dragon Claw!_" Fraxure shot out of the ground in a pillar of flames. Fraxure had used the flames of the Devastation to use his Dragon Claw. Fraxure swept the claws over Vigoroth's back, leaving six crisscrossing scratches where the fur was singed off. Vigoroth fell to the ground, while Fraxure stood proud._

_"Vigoroth is unable to battle! The battle goes to Fraxure!" called the ref. Vigoroth's dot dimmed. Harrison returned the sloth to his Pokeball, and pulled out another._

_"Go Houndoom!" called Harrison as he threw out his newest Pokemon._

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_**Part VII: Hellhound vs. Punching Fury**_

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_"Fraxure, return!" Fraxure was getting weary, and Buki didn't want to push his luck. "Go, Hitmonchan!" The Punching Pokemon stood battle ready._

_"Seventh match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Houndoom vs. Hitmonchan! _Begin_!" _

_"Houndoom! Flamethrower!" Houndoom opened it's mouth and launched its stream of fire._

_"Hitmonchan! Counter!" As the flames closed in, they were repelled by the red glow. The flames rushed toward Houndoom._

_"Counter!" Houndoom countered the flames as well. Now the flames were traveling back to Hitmonchan at four times the power._

_"Counter!" Hitmonchan reflected the flames again, this time making them eight times as powerful as they were originally. This time, instead of having Houndoom Counter again, or dodge, he let Houndoom stand still, and take the hit. Just as Buki thought things were going his way in this part of the battle, the flames disappeared, and Houndoom stood, looking evil in a faint red light._

_"Something I should've mentioned earlier. Houndoom has the ability Flash Fire. Any Fire Type move used on it doubles Houndoom's attack. You just hit Houndoom with a Flamethrower at eight times the original strength. Houndoom's about sixteen times as powerful now. Headbutt!" Quick as a flash, Houndoom stood in front of Hitmonchan. It rammed its horned head into Hitmonchan's chest. There was an audible cracking noise. Hitmonchan hit the ground in pain._

_Hitmonchan stood up. He began to walk forward. "Hitmonchan! No! You're too weak! Come back!" But his Pokemon kept going. Buki pulled out Hitmonchan's Pokeball, but Harrison interrupted him._

_"Wait. If he wants to keep battling, I'd be happy to oblige. Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The hellhound breathed his brimstone breath all over Hitmonchan, although at a much weaker blast. But, Houndoom's current weak was still stronger than Hitmonchan could handle in his state. Hitmonchan collapsed into a charred heap._

_"Hitmonchan is unable to battle! Houndoom wins!" cried the ref, with slight hesitation._

_Buki was horrified. That was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. Incredible, but enough to make Buki pissed off. "No more playing around." Buki whispered. "I'll end this with my next Pokemon." He pulled a ball from his obi._

_"_Go_! _Dewott_!" the otter-weasel stood ready to go. Then he saw Hitmonchan being taken off the field by the medics, and he looked back to Houndoom. Unbridled rage took him over, and he began to glow a deep blue. He'd activated his Torrent._

* * *

_**Part VIII: Hellhound's Final Battle! Samurai's Pride Enraged!**_

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_"Eighth match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Houndoom vs. Dewott! _Begin_!"_

_"Dewott! Aqua Jet!" Dewott leapt into the air, and shot like a rocket toward Houndoom. _

_"Houndoom! Protect!" Houndoom covered itself in an almost impenetrable barrier. Dewott was closing in, but he shouldn't get through._

_"Razor Shell!" In the burst of water, Dewott grasped the seashells, and powered them up. In the middle of the water, the golden light looked quite beautiful. The blast hit the Protect, and Dewott slashed out. The massive pressure made the Protect crumple, hitting Houndoom with the full power of two incredibly strong Water Type moves, powered up even more by the otter-weasel's Torrent._

_But, Houndoom was still souped up from the Flamethrower attack from earlier. _

_"Headbutt!" Dewott was still close, and couldn't move away from the super powered Headbutt attack. He tried to dodge, and it got him in the shoulder. He flew away from the hellhound, and came to a stop feet away. He stood, and grasped his wounded shoulder._

_"I've got an idea! Dewott! We can't afford to get close to Houndoom when he's so powerful! Use Razor Shell!" Dewott did as he was told, but didn't understand. They couldn't get close, but they were about to use a close contact move. Well, Dewott trusted his trainer inexplicably. He let the shells glow brightly._

_"Now! Throw them!" Understanding hit Dewott like a brick wall. He let his precious shells fly. They spun like shuriken, sending two arcs of blue light swirling around the battle field. The yellow shells slammed into the hellhound, followed by the blue arcs of light. The seashells swiped back to their owner as Houndoom hit the floor of the arena._

_"Houndoom is unable to battle! Dewott wins!" Houndoom was called back as his dot dimmed._

_"My last Pokemon huh? Alright! Go _Blaziken_!" _

* * *

_**Part IX: Blazing Chicken vs. Cool Samurai! Fire or Water, Who Will Win?**_

* * *

_"Ninth match of the Pokemon League Final Round! Blaziken vs. Dewott! _Begin_!" Buki started off strong with Dewott's new signature move._

_"Shell Shuriken!" The shells flew around, attacking Blaziken as it jumped away, slowly but surely wearing down the energy that was in the shells. Finally, the shells stopped, and dropped to the ground. Blaziken grabbed them, and quickly tossed them further away from Dewott._

_"Aqua Jet!" called Buki. Blaziken prepared to dodge, but the attack moved right past him, where the otter-weasel grabbed the shells, and moved in again, while never once leaving the water. Dewott prepared a Razor Shell attack in the midst of the water, like before against Houndoom. Blaziken kept up the dodging, jumping over or past the attack when Dewott brought them back around. Every time the attack came past, Blaziken would be well past the attack. Dewott couldn't even graze him._

_"This is getting sad." Harrison remarked. "Blaziken, Flare Blitz!" Blaziken surrounded itself with dark red flames, and launched himself at Dewott. The otter-weasel was still incased in the rocket of water, and he sent himself directly at the flame covered chicken. At Buki's command, he put a rotation into his Aqua Jet, and the attack corkscrewed. The two Starter Pokemon collided. After a massive explosion, which left the entire field full of steam, both fighters leapt clear, and were ready for their next attack._

_"Dewott! Scald!" Dewott let loose a blast like a Water Gun attack, but it was steaming, and letting of a heat haze. The concentrated blast scorched its was toward the Blaze Pokemon, and just as it was coming close, Blaziken ducked, letting the water whistle over his head._

_"Nice move, but really? You can't hit Blaziken from that far away." Harrison remarked. "Then we'll just have to get _closer_!" At his order, Dewott began to move forward at a fast pace. He was closing in when Harrison gave the command. _

_"Blast Burn!" He told his partner. Blaziken glowed red and orange for a moment, before releasing a monstrous wall of flames released from every pore in its body. The flames rushed toward Dewott, and Buki had to make a call._

_"Dewott! Defensive measures! Aqua Jet Version Two! Water Wall!" The water swirled around the otter-weasel, and expanded outward to form a barrier of water. Blast Burn's power was weakened drastically, but it was still strong enough to knock Dewott out of its little bubble, and slam it against the arena wall. Dewott crawled out of the rubble. Blaziken had to pause. Dewott sped forward. It was a good tactic, trying to attack while Blaziken couldn't move. But, Dewott was too far away. If he'd been two feet closer when he'd been thrown, he'd have made it as it was…he didn't._

_"Blaziken, finish this up with an Overheat!" Commanded Harrison. The Blaze Pokemon sent a fiery corona at Dewott. The Starter Pokemon crumpled to the ground._

_"Dewott is unable to battle! Blaziken is the winner!" cried the referee. The scoreboard blacked the color out of the circle featuring the otter-weasel._

_"You did well Dewott. Return." Said Buki, replacing the Pokeball under his obi. He pulled out another. "My last Pokemon." remarked Buki. He threw out the Pokeball. "Go, Fraxure!"_

* * *

_**Part X: Startling End! Blaze vs. the Axe-Headed Dragon!**_

* * *

_"Final battle of the Pokemon League Final Round! Fraxure vs. Blaziken! _Begin_!" Called the ref, dropping the flags for the final time._

_"Blaziken! Sky Uppercut!" Suddenly, Blaziken was underneath Fraxure, and he brought his arm up at full speed. It connected with a cringe-inducing crunch, and Fraxure was borne into the air. Blaziken jumped up to meet Fraxure in the air._

_"Now Fraxure! Dragon Rage!" Fraxure launched the orange fireball and it hit Blaziken directly. Blaziken fell out of the blast toward the ground._

_"Flamethrower!" Blaziken launched the fiery missile toward the Dragon Pokemon, still at a relatively close range. Buki watched the flames and had an idea._

_"Fraxure! Angle down and go through the flames!" Fraxure did as instructed, knowing what his trainer had in mind. At the last second, Fraxure stuck his claws out in front of him, and falling through the powerful fire attack. He took minimal damage, as his claws separated the orange tongues. His claws were covered in fire, which was what Buki wanted. Fraxure streamlined his body, so he caught up to Blaziken._

_"_Now_! _Dragon Claw_!" Onondo spread his arms wide, and brought them down, crisscrossing them like he did to Vigoroth. Blaziken crashed into the ground. When he stood, he was circled by a red light, signaling that his Blaze ability had activated. He glared up at the still falling Dragon Pokemon. Harrison decided that it was time to pull out the big guns._

_"Brave Bird!" Blaziken leapt into the air, dove down at Fraxure like a missile, its body bursting into flames. Then its body became surrounded by a blue aura, and it slammed into the Jaw Horn Pokemon. Fraxure flew far through the air, and landed in the ground, causing a crater._

_"Fraxure is unable-" The ref was interrupted by a bright white light erupting from the crater. The light faded. A new Pokemon stood in the crater, looking much too big for it. Buki pulled out his Pokedex._

_"Haxorus. The Axe Jaw Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Fraxure, and the final form of Axew. The axe blades that grow from it's jaw will never break."_

_"Interesting." Buki said as he replaced the Pokedex inside his kimono shirt. He noticed that Haxorus' tail was glowing. "Hmm…even _more_ interesting." Buki could tell that there was only really time for one more move. Buki had checked Haxorus' health when he checked the Pokedex. Even with evolution, Haxorus only had a few health points left. Fraxure had actually fainted, but the evolution triggered him back to consciousness. As it was, both Pokemon were on their last legs, but Haxorus was definitely closer to losing. They had to strike quickly. Buki realized the new move was a Dragon Type move called Dragon Tail._

_"Haxorus! Use Dragon Tail!" "Blaziken! Use Blaze Kick!" Both Pokemon moved forward, and made their attacks count. Haxorus whirled, and struck Blaziken with his tail. As he whirled, Blaziken got his Blaze Kick right in the middle of Haxorus' black colored chest. It was one of the only unarmored places on his whole body. When the dust cleared, only one Pokemon was left standing._

_"Fraxure is unable to battle! Blaziken wins! The victory goes to Harrison from Littleroot Town!" Yelled the referee. Buki's last dot on the scoreboard winked out. The cheers were deafening as Buki returned his newly evolved Pokemon, and walked out of the arena._

* * *

**Well, there you go. Chapter two is FINISHED! After three days and thirteen pages, you now have an action-packed battle scene, straight out of the Pokemon League! Next Chapter there'll be a little bit of a time skip. The team will have caught some new Pokemon, and they'll be in the first Gym city, so you can expect some more flashbacks, and more battles when the next Chapter is updated. Read and review, and I'll try to have the next chapter as soon as possible.**


	3. Mayhem In Accumula Town

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

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**Once again, I'm going through the chapters and fixing some things to make things easier to read. Stuff like taking out clogged paragraphs of Pokemon descriptions and changing all the Japanese names to the English names people are familiar with. Let me know if I missed anything.**

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**Chapter Three: Mayhem In Accumula Town**

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The boys were walking, making their way toward Accumula Town. They were walking down a path with trees on each side. Suddenly, they heard a call. They turned. "It's a Pidove!" cried Buki before Ash could pull out his Pokedex. Ash called dibs, and sent out Pikachu. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" The bird dropped. Before Ash threw his Pokeball, a bunch of other Pidove flew out and attacked Ash and Pikachu. In the confusion the Pidove all flew away. Including the Pidove Ash was about to catch. Then, they heard the call again. There was only one Pidove left.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" The second Pidove fell to the ground too. Ash threw his Pokeball, and the Baby Pigeon Pokemon was caught with a flash of white light, and a few blue sparks.

"Alright! I just caught Pidove!" Cried Ash, showing off the Pokeball.

"Yeah, yeah. Can we get going?" Masuku asked. He was the impatient one, but even his elder brother Buki was eager to get to the next town. After looking over a map, they say that they had to go through then next town, Accumula, to get to Striaton City. That's where their first Gym was.

They walked past a welcome sign that signified their passage into Accumula Town. There was little of note in Accumula Town. It wasn't very large, but the town had three tiers, which you could reach using stairs. The middle tier was where most of the town was, and where the Pokemon Center was found. There was a single house on the bottom tier with nothing else, and there was a single house on the upper tier that overlooked the next Route. There was currently a massive construction project, and there were many strong Pokemon walking around, carrying steel girders, and wooden beams. There were contractors directing the many Pokemon. However, there were two that weren't working.

"Who's Pokemon are those?" Asked the foreman, pointing to the two strange looking Pokemon. Both looked like they were hewn from rock. One was blue, and the other was red.

Buki pointed his Pokedex at the blue one. It read: _Sawk. The Karate Pokemon. It is thought to be closely related to Throh._

Masuku's Pokedex spoke up for the red one: _Throh. The Judo Pokemon. It is thought to be closely related to Sawk._

The 'Dex also showed that the pair of Pokemon that were at the construction site were Shiny Pokemon. The boys looked to the Pokemon again, then looked to the 'Dex. It was true they looked different. The Sawk in the 'Dex wore a light blue/black outfit, and was a lighter blue. The one at the site was dark blue, and wore a snow white outfit. The Throh on the 'Dex had dark red skin, but the one on site was orange. As the two finished their observations, the two Pokemon leapt into action.

The two made their way over to the other Fighting Pokemon, using speed that was astounding considering their bodies were made of rock. They attacked the other Pokemon that were working.

Sawk jumped down into a group of four large Pokemon. There was a Machoke, a Machamp, and two Gurdurr.

Sawk sprang into action. It lashed out and smoked the Machoke in the face with a massive punch that Buki and Masuku knew to be Rock Smash. It was a testament to Sawk's strength that the powerful Machoke crumpled to the ground. Then it turned to the Machamp and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks that the boys realized was the incredible Close Combat. Like its pre-evolved form, Machamp hit the ground, dazed.

At this point, the contractors tried to step in. Sawk dropped them quickly, with punches and kicks to the chest and stomach. The attacks were significantly weaker, but still enough to knock the men out cold.

Sawk turned to the final two Pokemon. The Gurdurr looked to one another, then swung their steel beams at the Karate Pokemon like bats. The beams threw Sawk into the air, and he landed on top of one. As the Gurdurr tried to throw Sawk off, he jumped toward the Muscle Pokemon, unleashing a Double Kick, followed up with a quick Karate Chop, knocking the first Gurdurr into the ground.

The last Gurdurr smashed its beam into Sawk from behind. The blue Pokemon fell to its knees. The Muscle Pokemon prepared to drop the beam on top of him once more, and that was when Sawk made his move. He shot out a leg, and used the move Ankle Sweep, making the Gurdurr fall. In mid fall, Sawk unleashed another Rock Smash at Gurdurr's chest. The Muscle Pokemon brought up its beam to protect itself, but the beam bent, and the force of the punch blew Gurdurr into the ground.

Throh had also dropped into a group of four. This group was made up of a Poliwrath, two Toxicroak, and a Scrafty. Throh started his onslaught.

He turned to the Poliwrath, and leapt into the air. The Tadpole Pokemon followed Throh with its eyes, but before it could do anything, Throh barrel-rolled toward it. Throh sprang up, grabbing Poliwrath and using the momentum to launch it awy in a move the 'Dex specified as Storm Throw.

Both Toxicroak rushed Throh from the sides. Throh used Superpower. He glowed blue, grabbed the Toxic Frog Pokemon by their heads, and smashed their skulls together, knocking them out.

Scrafty turned and ran. If anything, this seemed to make Throh angry. He took off after the Scoundrel Pokemon. Scrafty whirled around and used a fear-weakened Brick Break, which wasn't even on target. Throh answered with Vital Throw. He slammed into Scrafty, and while the Scoundrel Pokemon fell, he knocked it to the ground with a quick punch.

Then the two, not seeing anyone else to fight, took off through the city. Up on the hill, still on the outskirts of the town, Ash and the brothers stood. The brothers looked to each other. They'd just seen these two Fighting Pokemon take down eight other Fighting Pokemon in the span of about 30 seconds. Remember, both brothers are _Fighting Type_ trainers. One thought ran through both of their minds. They said it together.

"I've _got_ to have that Pokemon!" They both tore off down the hill, and into the town. They ran past the construction workers, who by now were picking themselves up, and past the defeated Pokemon, and into the alleyway that the two Pokemon had ducked down.

They lost the two, and had to double back to the construction site. There, they talked to the Foreman at the site.

"Well, those two show up every couple days, and beat the livin' tar out of us and our Pokemon. We can't stop 'em. No one knows where they go after they leave here, but y'all might ask someone at the Pokemon Center."

So, they made their way. It took a little while, but finally, they were inside the Center, and asking Nurse Joy about the two mysterious Pokemon.

Eventually, after a lot of goading, Nurse Joy pointed them toward the sewers. The boys thanked her, and departed. After scouring the town, they found a manhole cover that was scratched, and scuffed. Most likely from the two Pokemon's rocky hands.

They made their way down underground. Being a small town, there was a small sewer system, only spanning a couple miles in either direction from the place where they'd climbed down. There were a few pipes running off in other directions from the main pipe, and they weren't sure where to go at first. Then, they saw the marks.

There were gouges in the floor and sides of the tunnels. They followed them to a connecting room that had six or seven pipes running to it. The room was clearly where the Pokemon were living. But, they weren't there now. It was getting late, so they decided to wait until the morning, and hopefully Sawk and Throh would show up at the construction site tomorrow. They'd follow them, and get them.

* * *

**The Next Day**

The boys were back at the construction site, waiting for the Pokemon to show. But, the Shiny Pokemon were smart. They weren't showing up. It was imperative that they catch the two Pokemon, not only to help the workers, but to capture two ultimately kickass Pokemon that could only help in their Gym Challenges.

The three trainers made their way to the sewer, and snuck into the connector room, and saw the two Fighting Types locked in a sparring match. The boys guessed that because the construction site was being watched, they had to spar themselves, down in their sewer home. They saw Throh, the Judo Pokemon, throw the Karate Pokemon over its shoulder, slamming him into the wall. Then, things got serious.

Sawk pulled himself from the way, and moved forward. He leapt into the air, and came down with his arms crossed. His arms began to glow as he utilized the move Cross Chop. They caught Throh at the throat, and crushed him against the ground.

Then, Throh grabbed the lapel of Sawk's gi, and jumped into the air. He got to ten feet, got his feet on the ceiling, and pushed off, sending them plummeting toward the floor. He threw Sawk full speed at the ground using Seismic Toss, and then came down on top of him using Body Slam. This left a crater in the floor. Both Pokemon stood, and shook hands, signaling the end of their spar. The brothers realized their chance. It wasn't especially likely that they could take the Pokemon at full strength. Now the two were tired.

"Go, Dewott!" "Tepig, I choose you!" The Otter-weasel and the Fire Pig burst from their Pokeballs, ready for action. The two fighters didn't know what hit them.

"Dewott! Scald!" the Water Pokemon launched its missile of burning water, and it struck the two Pokemon, knocking them off their feet.

"Remember brother! This is a sewer! Tell Dewott not to over-do it!" Masuku reminded Buki. "He's got a point! We need to be more precise! Use Razor Shell!" Dewott ran forward, brandishing its seashells, while Masuku gave his first command of the battle.

"Tepig! Use Flame Charge!" Tepig ran at the Fighting Types, its body blazing. Dewott slashed the shells and struck Sawk, while Pokabu tackled Throh. Both Pokemon went flying.

The two stood up, and attacked the Starters, but they were on their last legs. Their earlier sparring match had tired them out. Sawk got Dewott with a Rock Smash, but it didn't have its normal power behind it. Dewott still stood.

Throh slammed Tepig with a Circle Throw. Tepig landed on its feet.

"Time to finish this up, huh bro?" Masuku asked. Buki nodded. They attacked in unison. "_Water Pledge_!_/Fire Pledge_!" Both Pokemon blasted an orb of their element, the orbs striking at the same time. They combined, forming a concussive blast. Both Fighting Types hit the floor.

"_Pokebell...go_!" Cried both brothers as they threw the capturing devices. Both Pokemon were caught with the usual blast of white light and flurry of blue sparks.

Pleased, they and Ash walked back to the Pokemon Center, ready to get to the next town, and their first Gym Battle.

* * *

**Well, another Chapter down, hopefully you all don't hate me for this Chapter being so much shorter than the last one. They're gonna vary with the Chapter's contents. Obviously, a Championship Battle is gonna be a lot longer than a regular Gym Battle, or catching a Pokemon or two. Next Chapter should be in the next couple days. Hopefully.**


	4. Challenge One Win, or Lose?

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

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**Hey all. Once more, changing stuff, tell me if I missed anything.**

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**Chapter Four: Challenge One. Win or Lose?**

* * *

Our three heroes had left Accumula Town about a week before, and were now entering Striaton City. They walked past buildings till they got to the Pokemon Center. They walked in, and saw three trainers talking to Nurse Joy. The three walked up.

"What's goin' on Nurse Joy?" Ash asked. They redhead turned to him.

"These boys just came from the Pokemon Gym." Then, one of the boys piped up.

"Yeah! The leaders there are strong!" This caused the boys some confusion. Buki asked the question on their minds.

"Leaders? As in more than one?" The boys nodded their assent. "Three of them. They're strong."

"Hn. They weren't so tough." said a kid in the back. He walked forward. He was a blonde, and wore an orange jacket, a black hoodie, and a blue shirt. He wore a pair of tan pants, and dark colored tennis shoes.

"Trip?" Asked Ash, recognizing the boy. "Hn. You mean the professor actually let you leave the lab with that weak Pokemon?" Ash bristled.

"Listen here. Pikachu was having some problems, but we could totally beat you now!" Ash remarked.

"I know what it's problem is. You're a weak trainer." Trip replied. Masuku stepped forward. "Hey. Why don't you settle this in a battle? You can put your Pokemon where your mouth is."

"Good idea. But, He's too weak to make a good challenge. Why don't you two team up with him? I need the practice. If there is any."

"Good idea." Said Buki, pissed at the boy's attitude. They went out to the back of the Pokemon Center.

"Alright. Who's up first?" Trip asked. Masuku stepped forward. "I am."

"_Go_! Throh!" "Hn. Go, Frillish!" Both Pokemon leapt from their Pokeballs.

"Throh! Use Superpower!" The Judo Pokemon rushed forward, glowing a deep blue. Throh released a massive punch, only for it to go right through the Jellyfish Pokemon. Throh was now actually standing in the middle of the Pokemon.

"I guess I should've explained earlier. Frillish is a dual type, Water and Ghost." Trip told a horrified Masuku.

"Throh! Get out of there!" But it was too late. "Night Shade!" Trip called to the Jellyfish. Frillish shot out a wave of energy that looked like giant hologram of itself. Throh was thrown from the Jellyfish Pokemon, the move throwing him into and through a tree standing at the edge of a small forest. Throh didn't get up.

"Return." Throh was called back. "Who's next?" Trip asked with a sneer. Ash moved forward. Buki stopped him. "Wait. Let _me_ go next." He stood tall as he walked up to the field.

"Alright. Lets go then." "Lets go, Sawk." The Karate Pokemon marched forward, unaware of what happened to his partner.

"Are you retarded? Didn't you see what happened to the other one?" Trip asked, indignant.

"No. I saw. My Sawk has the ability Mold Breaker. He can hit your Pokemon, regardless of any of that Pokemon's abilities. I can hit you because your Frillish is now solid. Sawk! Close Combat!" Dageki moved with a fluid grace, unleashing punch after punch on the startled Ghost Type.

"You may be able to hit me, but Ghost Type moves are still powerful! Shadow Ball!" The Jellyfish Pokemon fired a blast of dark energy, and it closed in on Sawk.

"Rock Smash!" Sawk destroyed the shadow in midair, punching it, and making it dissipate in a flash of purple light and sparks. "Hit it again! Double Kick!" Sawk jumped up, and slammed both kicks into the floating Pokemon's chin. The Jellyfish crumpled.

Trip growled. "Return." He grabbed another Pokeball. "Go Servine!" "Damn thing looks just like you." Buki remarked. Trip and his Servine gave twin glares, only showing the similarities between them.

"Servine! Leaf Tornado!" The Grass Snake made a noise of assent, and began spinning his tail. A huge green vortex formed around the tip, and Servine swung it wide. The vortex caught Sawk and began to spin him around. Servine spun the twister lazily, not giving it any effort. It released the vortex, thinking to drop Sawk to the ground. What it didn't count on was the fact that Sawk was still conscious.

"Sawk! Use Brick Break!" Sawk dropped from the sky, right over Servine. His fist glowed silver, and he slugged the Grass Snake as he hit the ground. Servine was pushed back by a few feet, slightly dazed.

"Alright then. Servine! Cut!" Servine rushed Servine, slashing him with his leafy claws. Sawk moved back, dodging as many of the cuts as he could. Then, he slammed his fist into Servine's stomach in a Rock Smash. Servine was thrown backward.

"Grr. Servine! Get in there! Leaf Blade!" The leaf on Servine's tail glowed bright green. It jumped up, spun in the air, and brought its tail crashing onto Sawk's head. Sawk fell to its knees, almost in a pleading position.

"That's right. Beg for forgiveness. But know this: _You won't get any! _Servine! Slam!" Servine ran forward on its stubby legs, and it threw itself at Sawk.

"_Now!" _Buki cried. "Reversal!" Sawk shot forward, bending his knees and leaning back onto one hand while using the other hand to deliver a powerful uppercut to Servine's chin, sending it flying into the air. It landed hard, eyes rolled back into its head.

"Return." Trip sighed. "You did well." He looked to Buki. "Your Sawk is very powerful. I will concede that you are a great trainer." He looked to Ash. "You, I'm not so sure about." He released his last Pokemon. "Go, Tranquill!" It spread its wings and flapped into the air.

"Sawk. Come back!" Sawk was returned to his Pokeball. Buki stepped back and let Ash take his place. "Sawk wouldn't last this round anyway. Show 'im what you've got."

"Lets go, Pikachu." The little Mouse Pokemon leapt from his master's shoulder, and onto the field.

"Am I supposed to be afraid of a Pokemon that can't do any Electric Attacks?" Asked an arrogant Trip.

"Show him." Buki told the irate Ash. "Pikachu! Volt Tackle!" Pikachu ran forward, electricity gathering in his red cheeks. The bolts sprang out over his entire body, covering him in a corona of electrical energy. Pikachu jumped high in the air, bolts of lightning flying off him, and flew right at Trip's Tranquill.

"_Dodge_!" Trip commanded quickly. The Pigeon Pokemon moved quickly. Trip looked at Ash in astonishment. He looked to Pikachu, standing, looking proud that he'd proved the Rival Trainer wrong. Trip knew he'd have to be careful if he wanted to win this.

"Alright then. Tranquill! Sky Attack!" Tranquill glowed a bright orange, and flew straight at Pikachu. Pikachu tried his special spin dodge, but it was clipped by one of Tranquill's wings, and was sent into the air. Tranquill flew into an arc, and came back around.

"Now, Brave Bird!" Tranquill pulled in its wings and dove down at Pikachu like a missile, its body bursting into flames. Then, it thrust out its wings, its body became surrounded by a blue aura, and it slammed into the Mouse Pokemon. When the glow faded, light blue sparks ran up Tranquill's wings as it took recoil damage.

The two powerful attacks, while not very effective on Pikachu, left the Mouse Pokemon on his last legs. One more would probably finish him off, but Tranquill looked no better. The Pigeon Pokemon took a lot of damage from both of its attacks as well. Both rivals called their final attacks.

"Brave Bird!" "Volt Tackle!" Both moves were charged quickly, and the two Pokemon went at it with an amazing speed. They crashed at full speed and power, flinging a cloud of dust into the air, blinding both trainers, as well as the two spectators. When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were out.

As both trainers returned their Pokemon, Buki made a statement. "Well. Looks like we win." This caused Trip to let out an indignant protest. "What do you mean _you_ won? It's a draw!" Buki shook his head in the negative. He pulled out a Pokeball. "Go, Sawk!" The blue Pokemon was weak, but still standing proud.

* * *

**Later That Night**

* * *

Our three heroes sat in their bedroom they booked at the Pokemon Center. Their Pokemon were being healed and would be fine in the morning. They were contemplating what the boys from earlier had said.

"Hmm…three Leaders. What do you think brother?" asked Masuku. Buki sat in thought for a moment before answering his brother.

"Well, it'll obviously be a triple battle. The only problem is, it'll take forever to get through that battle tomorrow, and I'd like to be out of here soon. I don't like being in one place for too long. We don't even have three Pokemon each yet. We'll just have to play it by ear. It'd be ideal if we could all just battle together like today, instead of us each battling all three trainers."

Ash spoke up. "Well, we'll just have to do our best. But, you're right Buki. We should move on as soon as possible. I want to get to the next Gym."

* * *

**The Next Morning**

* * *

They three boys walked all over the city, but didn't know where to find the Gym. Finally, they came across a green haired man wearing a jacket-less tuxedo with a large green bowtie. He carried multiple shopping bags. On seeing the three, he dropped his bags and came over.

"Is that a Pikachu?" Asked the man, petting Ash's partner. Pikachu grinned, sweat-dropping at the attention.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Cilan." He said, giving a bow. "I'm a Pokemon Connoisseur."

"Well, Cilan was it?" Began Buki. At a nod from the green-haired man, he continued. "Would you happen to know the way to the Striaton Gym?"

* * *

**Outside the 'Gym'**

* * *

"Well, here it is." Cilan remarked. The four were standing outside a magnificent building. Ash walked up to the doors, and threw them open.

"I have a request!" He cried, before nearly anime-falling. The room he now stood in was a large restaurant, packed with girls. There were two waiters in the back, one a redhead who had hair gelled up like flames, and another with smooth blue hair fanning his face. They wore tuxedos like Cilan's, but with the addition of aprons, and bowties that matched their hair. They two rushed over, and escorted them to a table. There, they began to pester the boys, telling them what they should buy, and making the boys flustered. The girls began to laugh at their predicament, until Buki stood and exclaimed:

"_Damn it! We just wanna challenge the Striaton Gym!_"

Cilan and the waiters got a gleam in their eyes. "Well! Why didn't you say so?" The lights went out in the restaurant, and the back opened into a battlefield. The three led the boys to the side of the battlefield.

"Now. Pick which of us you face. I am Cilan, and this is my partner!" He threw out a Pokeball, and out popped a Monkey Pokemon. "This is Pansage!"

Then the redhead stepped up. "I'm Chili, and this is _my_ partner, Pansear!" he cried, throwing out his Pokeball.

The blue haired man stepped up last. "My name is Cress. My partner is:" He threw his Pokeball out. "Panpour!"

"Now that you've seen our Pokemon, you get to choose which of us you battle!" Chili told the boys. They were just about to answer, when a great commotion started in the restaurant part of the Gym. One of the cooks ran in and gave the Leaders bad news.

"Cilan! Chili! Cress! There's been trouble! These two trainers in black with a talking Meowth stole all the Gym's Pokemon!"

"It's Team Rocket!" Ash cried. No one else knew who Team Rocket was, but they all ran out of the building. Team Rocket was already disappearing in a car, but Ash knew what to do.

"Go Pidove!" he yelled as he threw a Pokeball. The Pigeon Pokemon took off, and the boys followed.

* * *

**Nearly an Hour Later**

* * *

The boys and the Leaders had lost the car, but Pidove kept on it. The six saw the Pigeon Pokemon circling a clearing. Then, they saw a blast of electricity hit the small bird, and it dropped like a stone to the ground.

"_Pidove_!" Ash cried. The six picked up the speed, and soon, they were in the forest. They made their way to the clearing, and saw all the Gym's Pokeballs piled up by the car. Then, Jessie and James jumped out, along with Meowth.

"What have you three done?!" Chili asked.

"If you asked me what we've done…" Jessie began.

"The answer for tomorrow will be given!" James finished.

"Future! A white future reflects the color of evil!" Exclaimed the redhead.

"Universe! The hammer of justice in a black world!" cried the blue haired man.

"Our names will be remembered in this place!" Meowth chimed in.

"Destroyer of Passion! Jessie!" she continued.

"Pure Heart of Darkness! James!"

"Infinite Intelligence! Meowth!"

"Come gather! Under the name of Team Rocket!" The three finished.

"Everybody step back. Masuku and I have this one." Buki said. "Go, Dewott!"

"Go, Tepig!" Masuku cried. Both brothers threw their Pokeballs, and their starters jumped from the white light.

"Hn. Go Galvantula and Woobat!" Jessie called, throwing out two Pokeballs. "How do you like my new Pokemon twerp? I got this Galvantula from the Boss, and I just caught this Woobat earlier." Jessie boasted. Then it was James' turn.

"Go Amoonguss and Maractus!" He called, throwing two more Pokeballs. "These are _my_ new Pokemon! Amoonguss came from the Boss, but I found Maractus in my parent's winter home. They loved winter in Unova. So beautiful." James remarked, lost in his memories.

"Focus!" Ordered Jessie. "Galvantula! Electro Ball! Woobat! Air Slash!" Galvantula launched a medium sized blast of static electricity, as Woobat flapped its wings, firing multiple gray shuriken smothered in a glowing blue light. The attacks combined in midair, and both of them collided into Dewott, throwing him back through the clearing, into the forest. He staggered back into the vision of his trainer, tried giving a quick thumbs up, and fell back to the ground.

"Dewott!" Buki called, running to his partner. Then, James unleashed his attacks.

"Amoonguss! Maractus! Solarbeam!" The two began to charge the solar energy needed for the massive attack. While they charged, Masuku decided to attack the two Grass Types.

"Tepig! Ember!" The tiny pig rushed forward, and shot the little flames from his snout. But he wasn't quick enough.

"Now! _fire_!" Both Grass Types launched the powerful solar moves. The two swirled around each other, and slammed into Tepig. The little pig was lifted off its little feet, and flew far back, even farther then Dewott. This time, the Pokemon didn't come back to the clearing. Masuku ran off into the forest.

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail on Woobat!" Ash called. Pikachu's tail solidified into a bar of iron, and Pikachu leapt up to slam the tail onto Woobat, but was denied when James called for action.

"Maractus! Needle Arm!" The Cactus Pokemon jumped in the way, its arm glowing as it took a swing at Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon crumpled in midair, and slid across the ground to Ash.

"Well brothers, looks like we'll have to step in." Said Chili with confidence. All three brothers pulled out their Pokeballs. "Go, Pansage!" "Go, Pansear!" "Go, Panpour!" The three Elemental Monkey Pokemon stood in a line, ready to go.

"Bullet Seed!" "Flamethrower!" "Water Gun!" Commanded the brothers in unison. Their Pokemon's attacks combined in a beautiful Grass/Fire/Water combination. But it was all for naught.

"Woobat! Protect!" The Bat Pokemon flew in front of all the other Pokemon, and let off an unearthly green light. It formed a barrier in front of it, and the power attack was blocked. The attack was so powerful that instead of just dissipating, it bounced off the barrier, and rebounded on the monkey trio. All three of them were hurtled into the air by the elemental cortex, and each dropped out to the sky, landing on the ground in a heap.

Each of the brothers moved forward to their respective Pokemon, and looked them over.

"This is the hardest we've ever been pushed." Cress remarked. "I know. This is very difficult." Cilan replied. "Do you think it's time for _that_?" Chili asked. "I don't think we have a choice." His brothers answered him. All three brothers reached into one of their pockets. They all pulled out a stone. Cilan pulled out a gray stone with a leaf imprinted on it. Cress pulled out a blue stone with a bubble pattern in the stone. Chili's stone was red, with a yellow layer underneath, making it look like a stone of flames.

Buki asked the question first. "Are those Elemental Stones?" The brothers nodded, and touched their stones to their Pokemon. All three began to glow a bright white. When the light died down, three new Pokemon stood in their place.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex, pointing it at Cilan's Pokemon. _Simisage. The Thorn Monkey Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Pansage. It has a violent temper and will attack with its thorny tail when angered._

Masuku, who had walked back with Pokabu in time to see the transformation, pulled out his Pokedex. He pointed it at Chili's Pokemon. _Simisear. The Sparks Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Pansear. It can burn opponents by scattering the fire inside its body from its head and tail._

Buki grabbed his Pokedex also, pointing to Cress' Pokemon. _Simipour. The High Water Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Panpour. It has the ability to store water in its hair. When its supply is dwindling it siphons water with its tail for more. Its tail can also shoot pressurized water which is powerful enough to destroy walls of concrete._

Amazed at their Pokemon's new forms, the three brothers called out their attacks. "_Solarbeam_!" "_Flame Burst_!" "_Scald_!"

Using the energy from the flames Simisear was forming in his hands, Simisage formed a Quick Charge Solar Beam, while Simipour created a ball of boiling water in its hands.

"_Fire_!" The brothers called. All three Pokemon launched their attacks in a Kamehameha Wave fashion, spinning around each other, moving quickly. Before Woobat could Protect again, the attacks swirled around all four of the opposing Pokemon. Amoonguss and Maractus fainted on contact, but the others lasted a little longer. However, in seconds, the elemental blasts caused a massive explosion, sending the two trainers and five Pokemon to soar into the sky with a call of: "_We're blasting off again_!"

* * *

**Back in the Gym**

* * *

"Alright. Now, who fights who?" Chili asked. "I'll fight you. Fire vs. Fire." Masuku told the leader.

"Well. If that's the way we want to do this, then I'll face Cress, and Ash can have Cilan." Buki decided.

Ash and Cilan stepped up first. "Let's go, Pikachu!" "Pi-pi-pika!" "Alright then. Go, Simisage!" The two Pokemon squared off.

"Simisage! Seed Bomb!" Simisage opened its mouth, and a silver orb formed. Out of the orb shot multiple hard shelled 'seeds.' These 'seeds' hurtled toward Pikachu at an incredible speed.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pikachu glowed for a moment, then took off at full speed, plus a little more, out of the way of the seeds, and towards Simisage.

"Sunny Day!" Simisage glowed, and the suns rays that came through the ceiling's windows was made more intense. Simisage took the hit with Quick Attack, but it was all part of the plan.

"Now! Solarbeam!" Simisage glowed, and let loose a blast using his signature pose, the Goku. The blast streaked toward Pikachu, but he managed to spin in the air and dodge.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Pikachu jumped up, and let the bolt fly. Simisage stepped out of the way, and began to move in.

"Energy Ball!" Cilan called. Simisage opened its mouth, its crest glowing. A green energy orb formed in its mouth. Simisage fired the slow moving ball, and then waited for the command it knew was coming.

"Now, Bullet Seed!" Simisage shot the little seeds into the Energy Ball, making it explode prematurely. The seeds kept going through the blast, gaining energy, power, and speed. Pikachu couldn't move fast enough to evade all the bullets, but most of them missed. The ones that did make contact were extremely powerful and knocked Pikachu through one of the rocks dotting the field.

"Simisage! Use your 'Special Solarbeam!'" With Sunny Day still in effect, the Solarbeam charged quickly. Simisage held the burst in one hand, while running forward, closing in on Pikachu.

"Its over." Cilan informed Ash almost regretfully. Simisage slammed its palm into Pikachu, and let it explode. Smoke covered the field.

Simisage stood firm in the middle of the field, looking slightly ruffled. Pikachu had been blown into the air, and looked beaten as he fell to the ground right above Simisage. But, neither Ash nor Pikachu was ready to give up.

"Volt Tackle! Then use Iron Tail!" Ash commanded. To the surprise of everyone present, Pikachu responded, not out of the battle yet. The electrified rodent fell faster, while turning its tail into a solid bar or iron, which incidentally is a good conductor of electricity.

All the electricity from the Volt Tackle was absorbed into the Iron Tail, making it glow yellow. Pikachu slammed the tail into Simisage, unleashing all the stored electricity. This caused another explosion, throwing both Pokemon out of the ring, into the walls. When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon stood, weary and beaten. Then, almost in slow motion, Pikachu slid to his knees. (Or whatever happens when it looks like Pikachu's loosing.) Finally, in even slower motion...Simisage hit the floor. (But you were probably expecting that, weren't you?)

"Simisageis unable to battle! The winner is Ash!" Chili cried from the sidelines.

Masuku stepped forward, and Chili took his place as well. "Go, Tepig!" "Simisear."

"Tepig! Ember!" The little pig waddled quickly forward, before jumping into the air and shooting sparks from his snout. The sparks traveled fast, streaking toward Simisear.

"Dodge." Chili said in an almost bored manner. _If he's bored, I'll give him something to get excited for._ Masuku thought.

"Fire Spin!" Chili called. Simisear opened its mouth and a spiraling stream of flames roared to life. They moved fast to Tepig, but at the last second, the Pig Pokemon jumped expertly through the spinning fire and began the run toward Simisear.

"Ok. Dodge this! Fire Punch!" Simisear's fists glowed with flames as he rushed Tepig, punching rapidly. Surprisingly, Tepig was moving pretty fast, because he managed to dodge many of the punches. The ones that hit were only glancing blows.

"Tepig! Flame Charge!" Tepig expelled flames from all over his body, covering himself with them. Then, he did a close range Tackle Attack, sending the flames from his body onto Simisear's. Simisear moved back, stunned by the speed the Fire Pig was showing.

"Fire Pledge!" Tepig used the close range to make the attack un-dodge-able. He opened his mouth and fired an orb of flames into Simisear's face. Simisear stumbled back, batting at its face in an attempt to smother the flames.

"Now, Yawn!" The Fire Pig let a bubble escape his snout, and it floated to the pre-occupied Simisear. The bubble popped right by its head, getting into its eyes. They began to droop.

"Simisear!" Pod cried. "It's not over yet. Tepig, _Take Down_!" Tepig ran away from Simisear, then abruptly turned around, like a wrestler at the ropes, and rushed the now sleeping monkey Pokemon. He crashed into his opponent, knocking him away, and off the field.

"Simisear is unable to battle! Masuku wins!" Cilan called.

Buki and Cress stepped up for the last battle. "Let's rock, Dewott!" "Shall we take care of this Simipour?" The two Water Types stood waiting for commands.

"Shell Shuriken!" Buki cried. Dewott let his shells fly. They spun quickly, both flying at the third and final monkey Pokemon. Simipour twisted to the side, and the shells soared past.

"Hn. Didn't think that one out, did we?" Cress asked. "Aqua Jet!" Was the answer. Dewott flew forward inside his bullet of water. Simipour went to dodge again, but Dewott went right past him, grabbed his shells, and flung them at Simipour's unprotected back. The monkey staggered. Buki saw their chance.

"Water Gun!" Dewott launched the water, but it put too much effort into it. The water came out as a cannon blast instead of a gun.

"That's Hydro Pump!" Cress exclaimed. The blast hit Simipour square in the back.

The attack threw Simipour into the air. "Mirror Shot!" Dewott crossed its arms, shells in hand as they glowed silver.

"_Fire_!" Buki called. Simipour was still in the air, and there was still time. Dewott angled himself, and swept his arms out, shooting a green beam from the point where the shells touched. I.E. the point of friction.

The shot smoked Simipour in the back, right in the place he'd been Hydro Pumped. The Monkey Pokemon was thrown higher into the air, and crashed to the ground in slow motion.

"Simipour is unable to battle! Buki _wins_!" Chili cried, signaling the end of the battles.

* * *

**Outside the Gym**

* * *

"We're glad to bestow upon you three trainers the Trio Badge!" Chili exclaimed. The three brothers handed their respective opponents a small gold badge in the shape of three diamonds, end over end. The insides of the diamonds showed the colors red, blue, and green.

"Now." Cilan began, giving Buki a map, "You guys should head this way. The next city with a Gym is Nacrene City. Good luck on your journey. We'll see each other again, I'm sure."

* * *

**As our heroes leave Striaton City, who knows where their journey will take them next? I DO! XD. But honestly, next chapter will be a good one too. I hope. **


	5. Despairing Pokemon!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**What's up y'all? Chapter Five, starting now! I want to thank all of you that have reviewed, favorited, or alerted to this fic. Y'all have made this my most accomplished fic on this site, and I figured it'd be the least liked. I guess I should have more faith in the Pokemon Fanbase, huh? In the last chapter, our heroes have finally won their first badge! Now, on the way to Nacrene City, they've made a stop outside a comfortable town. What will happen here? Well, we know it won't be peaceful, because, as we all know, nothing's ever peaceful with Ash Ketchum on the scene.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Despairing Pokemon! Hey, Wait…Where's Our Food?**

* * *

As mentioned earlier, our heroes have taken a break beside a river, and are about to eat lunch. Masuku had collected berries earlier, and had put them out on the table on little kabob sticks. Ash was about to tear into them, when Buki interrupted his frenzy.

"Don't eat that. Jeez man." He turned to Masuku. "Did you forget little brother? I _can_ cook you know." Ash's jaw dropped.

"No way! You can cook? Wow. I wasn't holding out any hope for a cook to join me!" He tried to look over Buki's shoulder, to see what was cooking, but Buki pushed him back to the table.

"I dunno what anyone else has ever cooked for you on your other journeys, but I'm strictly carnivorous. I don't eat all that vegetable crap. I made meat." Buki told his fellow traveler as he laid three plates of meat, smothered in barbeque sauce, in front of them. He also laid out Pokemon food for Pikachu, Dewott, and Tepig.

Suddenly, a small, red, egg-shaped Pokémon walked by their table. It caught all their attention, and Ash pulled out his Pokedex. _Darumaka. The Daruma Pokemon. When it falls asleep, it will not tip over._

As Ash checked the Pokedex, Masuku walked over, and began to play with the Darumaka's eyebrows. In retaliation, the little fire Pokemon used Flamethrower on the little wrestler.

"And _that_, little brother, is why you don't mess with Darumaka. They are very strong willed, and they're said to bring good luck." As Buki noted this, unbeknownst to the others, an orange paw reached over the lip of the table, and swiped one of the bowls of Pokemon food. More specifically, it grabbed Pikachu's food. Pikachu looked back to its food to take a bite, and realized it was gone. He turned to the Pokemon nearest his bowl, which happened to be Dewott.

"Pi-Pika!" Ash turned. Pikachu pointed from his bowl to Dewott, and back again.

"Wait a minute." Buki interrupted. "Couldn't Pikachu have eaten it? Why blame Dewott? There're plenty of leftovers."

While the argument went on, the orange paw swiped Dewott's food as well. This time though, Pikachu saw it. When the other Pokemon turned, they thought Pikachu stole their food, and the three began to fight.

Pikachu began to point to Darumaka, which was when they noticed that the Daruma Pokemon had fallen asleep.

"See Pikachu? Darumaka had been asleep." Buki said to the Mouse Pokemon. Masuku, wanting to see if the Pokedex was right, poked the Darumaka, and watched it sway, side to side.

"Wow! It really _doesn't_ fall!" Masuku remarked. Then, he saw another Darumaka. This Darumaka had a sack tied around its neck, and it was filled with food, including their meat, and all the leftovers. Then, he swiped Tepig's food as well.

"Darumaka really _is_ stealing the food!" He yelled, and took off after the small Pokemon. The others began to follow, and the other Darumaka suddenly flipped over all of them, landing in front of his brother. It fired off another Flamethrower, and took off running with its brother.

"Dewott! Water Gun!" The otter-weasel fired the blast at the two small targets. The Darumaka ran to the wall, and jumped off it, letting the Water Gun hit the stones harmlessly behind them. While in the air, they shot a double Flamethrower, which washed over Dewott like his precious water. The starter Pokemon slid across the ground, coming to a stop in front of his trainer. He was very injured.

"We need to get him to a Pokemon Center." Buki remarked. "There's one in town." Ash told him. Forgetting about the Darumaka for a little while, they took off in search of the Pokemon Center.

* * *

**At the Pokemon Center**

* * *

It was sunset when Dewott was brought back out. Buki returned him.

"Man. Those two Darumaka were strong." He commented. Nurse Joy looked to the boys, and came over.

"Did you say two Darumaka?" She asked. The boys nodded. Nurse Joy revealed that together with a Darmanitan, the two Darumaka actually lived in harmony with the residents of the town they were in. However, the three Pokémon weren't seen together anymore, and the two Darumaka suddenly started stealing food for no apparent reason.

Sidetracked from the Darumaka, Masuku noticed a clock tower in the middle of the city. Nurse Joy then explained to them that the bell of the tower had stopped ringing, and the tower would soon be demolished.

Masuku was regretful for the beautiful gold tower, when Ash's stomach started growling.

"Sorry guys. I'm just really hungry." Ash laughed. "It's to be expected." Buki began. "After all, we never did have lunch. Let's stay here for dinner." He suggested. The others heartily agreed.

The three boys and Pikachu were pigging out on the multitudes of food that had been laid out for them. As that night was a full moon, Nurse Joy informed everyone that she'd be preparing dumplings for them. Ash and the others offered to help with the preparations.

They four of them, five including Pikachu, walked into the kitchen. However, the group were then greeted again by the two Darumaka, who were ready to escape with their dumplings. With speed and agility, the two Daruma Pokémon jumped out of the window.

Ash sent out Pidove hoping to catch them, and at the same time to find out the reason behind the thefts. The two Darumaka continued jumping wildly and away from the group, and into an alley. They then jumped in opposite directions and split up at a T-junction.

"I've got this one!" Buki cried, sprinting off after the Darumaka that had bounced down the left hand alley. Ash and Masuku rushed after the one that had stolen all the food.

The crafty Darumaka lost the boys, and disappeared. When the boys regrouped in the town square, they wondered where the two could've made their way to. Suddenly, Pidove chirped, and pointed to the clock tower. At the entrance, they could just see the two Darumaka slide in through the doors, just as they closed. The group took off.

As the three boys closed in, they rushed up a long flight of stone stairs. When they got close, Ash called out to the Darumaka.

"We won't let you get away with this!" The Darumaka sped up, tearing up the rest of the stairs, and up a small wooden ladder, onto the next floor of the clock tower.

Buki and the others reached the top of the ladder, and looked around at the moon-lit room. Suddenly, from the dark corner behind Buki, the two Darumaka jumped out, and shot twin Flamethrowers at him. He dodged in the nick of time, but the flames caught the ladder to the next level, engulfing the wood in seconds.

"Dewott! Water Gun!" Buki cried as he threw out the otter-weasel's Pokeball. Dewott leapt out with a flash of white sparks, and loosed the burst of water. The stairs cooled off, but they crumbled to the floor, leaving the next landing almost unreachable.

The two Darumaka again tried their Double Flamethrower on Buki, but Ash had Pikachu use Thunderbolt, stopping the attack.

"Dewott! Water Gun!" Buki commanded. The attack hit, but the two countered by using Rest in the air, and landing on their bottoms, teetering left and right.

As Ash and the others inched closer to inspect, the two Darumaka suddenly woke up and jumped over them.

"_Wait_!" Ash and Masuku cried. "We don't want to fight you." Buki told them. The two stared at each other blankly.

"We only wanted to find out why you guys were stealing food." Ash told the two. Then the Darumaka finally decided to trust the group, and waddled across to underneath the hole which the ladder one stood. As they pointed to the top of the hole, Buki understood that they both wanted to get to the top, and decided to help them. With Buki's help, Ash managed to climb to the top of the hole.

Buki boosted Masuku up to Ash, followed by him lifting each of the Pokemon to the trainer above. Finally, Buki unsheathed his short katana, and chucked it at the wall. It stuck, and with a show a agility, Buki jumped up, unto the sword, grabbed the hilt, and jumped through the opening, pulling his sword with him. When he got to the top, she sheathed it again.

"Wow…it's really hot up there." Masuku remarked, pointing up to the next level. They could see the floor glowing a soft red, and felt the heat emanating from it. They made their way to the ladder, and climbed to the top level.

The first thing they saw was a huge bell, and under it was a large blue Pokemon that looked like it was made of stone. It was egg shaped, had blank white eyes, curly gold eyebrows, two big hands sticking out of its sides, and tiny feet curled underneath it. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

_Darmanitan. The Blaze Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Darumakka. __These Pokémon are normally very active and fight using both physical and emotional strength. _

"But…this looks a lot different than what's in the Pokedex." Ash remarked. "That's because it's in Zen Mode." Buki told him. Ash checked the Pokedex again. _A Darmanitan in Daruma Mode is completely immobile, so it uses its psychic powers in place of its arms in order to do things such as gather and eat food. _

"See, in Zen mode, a Darmanitan's attack is lowered, and it can't use any Physical Moves, but its Special Moves, such as its Psychic attack, are powered up, because its Defense and Special Attack are boosted." Buki informed the others.

The Darumaka opened the sack, and let Darmanitan feed itself by using Psychic. Ash realized that the Darumaka were stealing to feed Darmanitan, and Buki realized that as long as Darmanitan stayed in Zen Mode, he'd just generate more and more heat, eventually bursting through the floor, potentially destroying the clock tower.

Masuku questioned why the Darmanitan didn't transform back to normal after eating, and the two Darumaka ran off further into the room. They returned with a thick metal rod, shaped like a question mark. Buki guessed that it had to have been a hook for something at some point.

"Hey. I just realized something. That bell is floating!" Masuku pointed out. "Alright. That proves it. I just figured out what happened. Darmanitan was here when the hook bent out of shape. The bell fell, and Darmanitan caught it. However, it was too heavy, so he had to go to Zen Mode to levitate the bell with his Psychic. But, this meant he couldn't eat, so the Darumaka had to go steal food for him."

"Wow. Looking out for your friend for all this time? That's awesome!" Masuku commended the Darumaka. The two smiled with embarrassment.

Suddenly, Darmanitan began to glow even more intensely, making the others jump into action. Masuku released Tepig, and Ash had Pikachu stand by. Buki threw the rod into the air, and Masuku had Tepig use Ember. Nothing happened. The Darumakka stepped up to help. Buki threw the rod into the air again, and Tepig used Ember with the assistance of the Double Flamethrower, and the rod lit up bright red.

"Now Pikachu! Iron Tail!" The Mouse Pokemon leapt into the air, and struck the rod once with the bar of iron he had as a tail. The rod was bent back into its original 'S' shape.

"Go, Dewott! Water Gun!" The starter Pokemon spewed water all over the 'S,' cooling it off. Pikachu grabbed up the hook.

"So….how do we get it up there?" Ash asked. As the words left his mouth, Darmanitan used Psychic, and him and Pikachu were lifted into the air. Startled, Ash took the hook from Pikachu, and hooked it over the pipe it originally hung from. Then, he reached down, and tried to get the bell handle.

Before he could grab the handle, Darmanitan reverted back to Normal Mode, and the bell, followed by Ash and Pikachu, torpedoed to the ground. Darmanitan caught them, then using a manner of flips and acrobatic agility, Darmanitan landed on the pipe above them, and caught the bell by the handle before the bell could fall any farther. Ash thanked the massive red Pokemon. Said Pokemon gave a wink, and put the bell back on its hook. As it jumped down, they finally got their first good look at it.

The two Darumaka leapt to their brother, and the three stood together for the first time in a long time. They approached the others slowly, and thanked them for everything they did.

"It's no problem you guys. But try not to steal anymore." Ash told the two little Darumaka. The three Fire Types grinned sheepishly.

* * *

**Leaving the Town**

* * *

Ash and the group are were headed to Nacrene City. As they walked forward onto a bridge, Nurse Joy stopped them and informed them that the clock tower will not be demolished, only repaired. Nurse Joy also informed them that the Darmanitan and the two Darumaka have made the clock tower their home.

"It's so awesome that Pokémon and people are living in harmony." Buki remarked. The group spotted Darmanitan and the two Darumaka standing at the top of the clock tower, smiling and waving at them. The group bid the three Pokémon a final goodbye, before setting off for the Gym in Nacrene City.

* * *

**WOOHOO! TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY! Alright everyone. That was a teaser to hold you guys over before the gang gets to Nacrene City. Expect another teaser in the next couple days, involving the guys adding a few more Pokemon to their family/roster. I'll take any requests for Pokemon you want to see the guys with, but remember, Unova Pokemon are a lot easier to come by than any others in the Unova region. Actually, you can't really find any other Pokemon in the wild there. Also remember, Buki is a Steel and Fighting Type trainer, while Masuku is just a Fighting Type trainer. Ash will catch any Pokemon though. Also, in any reviews you guys leave, tell me if you like the way I describe the Pokemon. Apparently, some people don't like it. I think it's fine, but if the overwhelming majority of you don't like it, I can add links to the Pokemon on my profile. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry for it being so short. The length is mostly why I made this chapter just filler and a teaser for the next Gym battle. This is just an episode I really liked, and thought it would be fun to have in the fic.**


	6. End of the Filler!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**What's up y'all? Chapter Six, ready to go! Once again, I'd like to thank you all for reading and liking my work. It means a lot. I'm sorry about the lack of updating, but I've had a few problems with my family, and they come first. I hope you don't hate me. Now, I promised you guys that I'd have another filler chapter, before the group makes their way to Nacrene City. I promise, next chapter will see a Gym Battle, but for now, the gang's on a short leg of their journey, and they'll encounter a few new Pokemon before the inevitable battles ahead.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: End of the Filler!**

* * *

Our heroes traveled along a well worn path. There wasn't much around to be seen, just trees. There was an awful amount of sand and dirt around. They couldn't find a clear spot to make camp. It was everywhere. Mostly coming from a myriad of holes in the ground, all over the forest. It was odd.

"This is odd." Buki noted. (Rather unnecessarily) "There shouldn't be this many holes around here. Last I knew of, there wasn't anything here important enough to have to dig up." The boy was interrupted in his musings by his brother.

"Brother!" Masuku called. "Look!" There was an old and beaten log style cabin, just hidden in the trees. It was only noticeable, because of the smoke raising from the chimney. The boys quickly made their way over. Masuku knocked on the door. Soon enough, an elderly man, with a strange look in his eyes, threw the door open.

"Just what is it ya want, ya whippersnappers?" asked the man, with a tinge of crazy to his voice.

"We just wanted to know if there was someplace _not_ full of holes, that we could use to make camp tonight?" Buki asked.

"Geheheh! Sorry Sonny-Jim, I'm afraid there ain't. Ain't been a clear place in these woods since a few days ago, when them weirdoes in the black suits!" The man answered.

"He can call someone _else_ a weirdo?" Masuku whispered. Buki shot him a look, paired with a quick jab to the ribs.

"Um…what weirdoes?" Buki asked the man.

"Well, come on in, youngin's, and I'll tell ya all about it. Name's Toppyo Ushimonai." The man mentioned, moving into the cabin. The three hesitantly followed Toppyo in.

* * *

"Geheheh! See here, youngin's. It was two of 'em. A blue-haired girly-boy, and a bossy red-head. They had a Meowth wit 'em, see?" this got a reaction out of the boys, but Toppyo paid no attention.

"They came round 'ere with a few Drilbur. Just started tearin' up the whole forest. I'd have stopped 'em, but I'm a lonely old man, without any company…well, except for my Tirtouga."

For the first time, the three boys noticed the large Pokemon latched onto the man's back, making him look like he had a large turtle shell.

The Tirtouga resembled a light blue baby sea turtle. It had a dark blue beak and "mask," and dark blue spots on the edges of its front flippers as well. Its dark blue shell had inscription-like spiral patterning on it.

Buki grabbed his Pokedex from his sleeve. _Tirtouga. The Ancient Turtle Pokemon. Purotoga once lived in the oceans long ago, sometimes coming ashore to eat. Today, the Pokémon is considered extinct after millions of years._

"Wow!" Masuku exclaimed as Buki replaced his Pokedex. "How'd you ever find a Fossil Pokemon?"

"Well youngin, I used to travel, long ago. Not as a trainer, but I could get around. I made it a habit to find strange an' incredible things. One day, an ole friend contacted me. He told me he had s'mthin' for me. It was a Lid Fossil. When I got it to Nacrene City, just 'bout a mile further in the forest, I got 'im revived. He's been wit me ever since." Toppyo finished.

Upon closer examination, the boys noticed how old the Tirtouga was. He was wrinkled, and had a bushy white mustache, poking out the side of his beak. The three had mistaken it for Toppyo's hair, and as the turtle leapt to the floor, they realized their mistake.

Understanding the need to get back on topic, Buki re-broached the subject. "Um…sir? Where exactly did the weirdoes go?"

Toppyo thought hard for a minute. "I'm athinkin' they went further inter the forest. There's some caves purty deep in there, and I'm abettin' that's where they'd be."

"Thanks Toppyo. We'll take care of it." Buki told the man.

"I can't let you youngin's go in there! Gheheheh! What kinda person would I be if'fen I let you three go in there?"

"I'm sorry Toppyo, but we've got to go." Buki told the man. Toppyo stood, and crossed to the cabinet behind him. He came back with a Pokeball.

"Alright. I can see yer gonna do whatever it takes to get out there to solve this. But, take this wit you." He handed the Pokeball to Buki.

"I thought you-" "I only have Tirtouga to call me own, but that there Pokeball was left here a few months ago, by some trainer that didn't wan' it anymore. I thou' it was sad, so I kept 'im. But, I can't give the little guy the kinda action he needs. Plus, I'm athinkin' yer gonna need all the help you can get to get dis over wit." Toppyo told the boys.

* * *

"Hey Buki," Masuku started. "Just what do you think is in that Pokeball?" The boys were outside the entrance to the caves, and were preparing to make their way inside.

"I dunno. But, I _do_ think that you may need it more than me. Here." Buki handed the Pokeball over to his little brother. "Until we can train Tepig up a little more, you can have this to help you out."

"Come on." Ash began. "Let's get in there and find out what Team Rocket are up to!" the three boys took off into the darkness.

* * *

"Damn it! Which way now?" Masuku asked. The three had only made it maybe a hundred feet into the caverns, of which, they weren't even sure they went into the right one, and the path branched off into three.

"Alright. Guess there's only one thing to do. We split up." Ash replied. The others looked to him incredulously.

"What?" He asked. "Don't you know you never wander off by yourself in a giant maze of caves?" Buki reprimanded.

"Well, we don't really have another choice, do we?" Ash tried again. The other boys didn't have anything else to say.

"Alright then. Let's go!" Ash took the center tunnel, Buki the one on the far right, and Masuku, the far left.

* * *

**With Buki**

* * *

Buki made his way down the tunnel, which curved frequently, giving him no way to know what was on the other side. He began to get anxious, and started to pause before every turn, making absolutely certain that there wasn't anything on the other side.

He came to a dead end. He ended up in a giant cavern, the likes of which he'd never seen before.

"Damn." His voice rang out, echoing all around him. _Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn._

The holes that were all over the forest dotted the cavern as well. There were a lot, like there was a large number of these Drilbur.

Suddenly, the holes began to vibrate, the dirt on top falling off to reveal the opening. A multitude of mole-like Pokemon made their way to the surface.

Soon enough, Buki was surrounded. "Oh….crap." Buki took off, or rather, he _tried_ to take off. He began by leaping onto the head of the Drilbur closest to him, and then he jumped from one to another, trying to get back to the entrance. It didn't work.

The Pokemon raised their heads at the same time, and dug their claws into the ground. When they were ready, they flung their claws into the air, causing a Sandstorm. Their ability, Sand Power, meant that their speed was increased.

"Son of a bitch!" Buki cursed as the Sandstorm bit into his skin. The Drilbur moved in close, one at a time, and began slashing their claws at the samurai hero. He pulled his sword from it's sheath, and began blocking the many blows.

Suddenly, all the Drilbur moved away, and formed a gigantic wave of Ground Pokemon, moving toward Buki with great speed.

"_Damn it! Go, Dewott_!" Buki called desperately. The otter-weasel stood at the ready.

"Need some help Sonny-Jim?" Buki whirled around. Toppyo was standing in the tunnel. "Tirtouga! Rain Dance!" The old turtle opened his mouth, and shot out a ball of water at the cavern roof. It popped on impact, causing rain to fall to the floor. Buki looked to the older man. Toppyo nodded.

"_Double Water Gun_!" The two called in unison. Both Water Types shot their streams of water into the massing crowd of Drilbur, causing them all to topple back, and hit the ground. Then, out of the crowd, one of the Drilbur stood back up. It was a little bigger than the others, and it had a scar over one of its eyes. It clearly held authority. It scraped its claws together, making a horrible grating noise.

"Im athinkin' that Drilbur wants to battle ya one on one. You think yer up to it?" Toppyo asked. Buki nodded.

"You ready to go Dewott?" A nod from his partner. "Alright then! Let's go!" Dewott began to move in.

"Now! Shell Shuriken!" Dewott grabbed the twin seashells, and threw them full force. They spun, end over end, moving with uncanny accuracy. However, just before they made contact, the Mole Pokemon dove at the ground, using its large claws to burrow deep.

"Careful there youngin! That's Dig!" Toppyo told the swordsman. Buki nodded. He knew what to do.

"Alright! Here's where those sharp senses come in handy, huh Dewott? Listen carefully." Dewott narrowed his eyes in concentration. After a few quick seconds, his eyes flew open again. He jumped into the air, just as Drilbur came from the ground.

"Good job! Now! Water Gun!" Dewott hit the Drilbur close range, point-blank. The Mole Pokemon hit the floor of the cavern, and Dewott touched down seconds after.

Out of the smoke, Drilbur dove for Dewott, his claws glowing in a Metal Claw attack.

"Dodge, Dewott!" The otter-weasel ducked and weaved, and when he got close to the wall, he somersaulted over Drilbur, and ran away, to get his shells.

Once it saw that Dewott had his shells back, it leapt into the air, and landed hard, crouching to the impact. Said impact sent shockwaves across the floor of the cavern. The other Drilbur were thrown against the far wall of the cavern, and Dewott went with them.

"Was that Earthquake?" Buki asked, in awe. Dewott dug himself out of the pile, and dashed forward.

"Ok! Time for one last attack! You've gotta finish it! Razor Shell!" Dewott kept moving, making his shells glow. At the same time, Drilbur ran at the otter-weasel, another Metal Claw lighting up its paws. In the center of the room, the two collided, and moved past each other, just like two swordsmen who've just struck the final blows. They stood stock still, and for a few seconds, it looked like they'd have to attack again to end it, but finally, Drilbur hit the floor.

"_Yes_!" Buki yelled. He made a snap decision, and grabbed a Pokeball. "Go, Pokeball!" The ball hit the Mole Pokemon, and it opened with a flash of light. After a second or two, the ball stopped moving, and Buki knew he had a new teammate.

"Alright youngin! That was a good catch! But, we need to find yer friends." The two whirled around, and rushed back through the tunnel.

* * *

**With Ash**

* * *

"Grr. This tunnel's goin' on forever!" Ash whispered to himself. Like Buki, he had taken to sneaking around the corners after deciding the safety of the stretch of dirt floor ahead.

"Alright Pikachu, lets take a break for a minute." Ash told his partner. The two sat down on a somewhat flat rock, and surveyed their surroundings. They hadn't heard anything in the tunnel besides Ash's footsteps. They'd been moving through the tunnel for about ten minutes, but they hadn't come across Team Rocket, or the Drilbur yet.

"Well, lets go." Ash decided, and they began to move forward again. A voice stopped him dead.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the twerp. What are _you_ doing here?" The voice came from James, who stepped from around the next bend in the tunnel.

"I'm here to stop you!" Ash proclaimed. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Pikachu charged, and fired. However, all the electricity was drawn to James' backpack, where two long bars or iron poked toward the ceiling.

"Lightning rods, twerp. Where're your friends? Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Jessie's in one tunnel, and the other tunnel leads to the Drilbur. They won't last long. Haha!" James boasted.

"Don't underestimate them!" Ash yelled. "Quick Attack!" He cried to Pikachu. The Electric Type dashed forward at top speed, zipping toward James.

"Hn. Won't work. Go Maractus! Use Needle Arm!" The Cactus Pokemon burst from his ball, jumping James with a hug.

"No, no! Get _them,_ not me!" Maractus moved forward and caught Pikachu with a clothesline-like Needle Arm. Pikachu was thrown back toward Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash ran to his fallen partner. Suddenly, the ground shuddered, and the walls shook. "Heh. Looks like one of the other twerps found the Drilbur. Maractus! Giga Drain!" The Cactus Pokemon's pink flowers shot out beams of green energy, ensnaring Pikachu. The beams circled Pikachu for a few seconds, and then flew back and circled Maractus, healing him.

"Now Maractus! Sunny Day!" The Cactus Pokemon shot a ball of light into the air, and the tunnel was filled with bright light. Ash and Pikachu covered their eyes.

"_Solarbeam_!" Maractus fired the beam, and it blasted into the ceiling. The roof began to collapse, separating Ash and Pikachu from the other side of the tunnel, and leaving James to run back through the back of the tunnel, to the connector that lead to the other tunnel. Jessie was waiting for him, and it wouldn't do to make her angry.

"Damn! Come on Pikachu!" Ash turned tail and took off running for the tunnel opening.

* * *

**With Masuku**

* * *

"Hehe. It's alright to be afraid kid. We _did_ wipe the floor with you last time. If those Gym Leaders weren't with you, we'd have gotten that Pikachu." Jessie taunted.

"Listen up! I'm not afraid of you!" Masuku drew out a Pokeball. "Now, let's do this! Go, Tepig!" he called as he threw the ball.

"Hmm. Fine, if that's how you want to do it. Go, Galvantula!" Jessie said, throwing her ball.

The two opposing Pokemon stood close to their trainers, glaring at the other. Jessie was first to attack.

"Alright, Galvantula! Let's _gum up the works!_ String Shot!" The Spider Pokemon opened it's jaws, and shot the stream of string. It hit the ground in front of Tepig and spread forward, catching his feet. It effectively stuck him to the floor.

"Now that dodging is out of the question, Electro Ball!" the Electric Type opened it's mouth again, and fired a solid, tangible burst of electric energy. The burst impacted with Tepig, knocking him back. With the String Shot still holding him to the ground, the attack made Tepig look like an extreme bobble-head.

"_No_! Tepig!" Masuku was worried. Then, it was like a light went off in his head.

"I just realized! I've been obsessing over the fact that Galvantula is an Electric Type, but I'd forgotten! He's also a _Bug Type!_ Tepig! Use Ember on the string!" If possible, Tepig smirked. The little flames burst from his snout, incinerating the string, and freeing him to move.

"Now then. This battle can _really_ begin!" Masuku declared.

"That's what you think! Galvantula! Bug Buzz!" The dual type stiffened. Then, he began to rub his limbs together. The fur on the legs sparked, and sound waves burst out, disorienting Masuku and his partner. Then, the waves retreated back to Galvantula. They massed around his mouth, and he fired them in a beam that blasted into the ceiling. Rocks tumbled down, and blocked the tunnel, Masuku on one side, Jessie on the other.

"See ya later, twerp!" Jessie laughed as she took off down the rest of the tunnel.

"Damn it! Tepig, let's move." Masuku and his partner ran back toward the entrance of the tunnel.

* * *

As it turns out, all three boys, plus Toppyo exited their respective tunnels within a few seconds of each other. They sat down to rest and think.

"This was clearly planned. I bet that Meowth was back in the back, running the machines that are keeping the Drilbue under control." Buki mused.

"I dunno. This is way too organized for them. This isn't the Team Rocket I know. They seem a little smarter." Ash commented.

"I know. These guys are definitely firing on all cylinders to come up with something like this." Masuku was puzzled.

"Well, ya whippersnappers, I'm athinkin' we need to end this situation, soon." Toppyo suggested. There were nods all around.

"Alright. We need Sawk and Throh for this. They can clear the main tunnel, and we can get to Team Rocket." Buki said.

"Use the Pokemon I gave ya too. It'll be a lotta help!" Toppyo suggested. Buki looked to his brother and nodded.

"Alright, if you say so." Masuku pulled out the new Pokeball. "_Go_!""See? It's a Timburr!" Toppyo told the boys. Masuku pulled out his Pokedex. _Timburr. The Muscle Pokemon. Timburr have been seen helping construction workers. When it can easily lift a heavy block of timber, it is ready to evolve._

"Wow! I've always heard that Timburr were incredibly useful! Why in the world would anyone _ever_ leave one behind?" Masuku asked.

"I think there are more pressing matters here, little brother." Buki pointed out. Masuku nodded. The boys grabbed a Pokeball each, and ran down the middle tunnel, Timburr, Ash, and Toppyo in tow.

* * *

"_Go_! Sawk and Throh!" The brothers called in unison. The brother Pokemon leapt forward with their team's new addition, and began to move the rubble.

"Wait, I almost forgot. Go Drilbur!" Buki called. His new Mole Pokemon jumped forward as well. The other two boys marveled for a second, but didn't bring it up. They were pressed for time.

After a few minutes enough of the rock was moved that they could get through, and they ran forward into the darkness.

* * *

They were in a cavern. It was much bigger than the last one. There was a huge machine dominating the entire back side of the room. It was gigantic, and there wasn't anyone or anything guarding it.

"That's more like the Team Rocket I know. They must not have thought we'd get this far." Ash remarked. Quick as a flash, smoke rolled in, and spotlights lit up the ground.

"Oh, you've gotta be friggin' kidding me!" Buki cried.

"If you asked me if we're kidding…" Jessie began, just like last time.

"The answer for tomorrow will be given!" James finished, annoying the four.

"Future! A white future reflects the color of evil!" Exclaimed the redhead obnoxiously.

"Universe! The hammer of justice in a black world!" cried the blue haired man, equaling or surpassing his partner in annoying our heroes.

"Our names will be remembered in this place!" Meowth chimed in, saying his first line of the chapter.

"Destroyer of Passion! Jessie!" she continued, ignoring our heroes' ire.

"Pure Heart of Darkness! James!"

"Infinite Intelligence! Meowth!"

"Come gather! Under the name of Team Rocket!" The three finished.

"Do you guys have to do that _every _time we see you?" Buki asked.

"But of course!" James exclaimed. "We wouldn't be anything if we didn't have our motto!"

"Let's focus a little, hmm James? Let's end this insanity. Then, we can give Pikachu to the Boss, and maybe even all their other Pokemon. It's not like they're gonna need them anymore!"

"Fine! Go Maractus and Amoongus!"

"Galvantula and Woobat!"

"Dewott!"

"Tepig! We've got a score to settle!"

"Let's go Pikachu!"

"Tirtouga!"

The eight Pokemon stared across their ranks at their opponent. It was Dewott vs. Woobat, Tepig vs. Galvantula, Pikachu and Maractus, and then Purotoga vs. Amoongus.

"You want any help Toppyo? You're pretty outmatched here." Buki asked the older man, ready to back him up.

"Don't you youngin's worry about me. I can hold my own wit these fools." Toppyo replied.

"Since this is gonna be hard to conduct four battles at once, how about we go at it one on one? Instead of a free for all?" Jessie asked.

"Fine. We're first." Buki accepted. "Fine. Woobat!"

* * *

The two Pokemon faced off. Buki went first.

"Dewott! Scald!" The otter-weasel fired the orb of steaming water at the flying bat.

"Haha! Woobat, use Gust!" the little bat flapped his wings fast, throwing a gale of wind at Dewott. The Scald attack was stopped, and the wind made it explode, the water dropping to the ground, throwing up a smokescreen.

"That's not what I planned, but I'll use it! Dewott, into the steam!" The Water Type obeyed, and Woobat soon lost him in the haze.

"That won't work! Woobat, use Gust again!" the Bat Pokemon flapped his wings again, blowing the smoke away. He expressed surprise when he couldn't see Dewott.

"Underneath you!" "_Razor Shell!_" Woobat looked down in time to see Dewott leaping into the air, swinging his shells at Woobat's underside.

"_Dodge!_" Jessie shrieked. There was no time though, and Woobat took the hit, falling to the floor.

* * *

"Tepig! Ember!" Masuku called. The next battle had started. Galvantula had to leap high to avoid the small tongues of flame.

"Grr. Use Electro Ball!" While it was in midair, Galvantula launched its burst of energy. The burst shot straight at Tepig.

"Tepig, use Smokescreen!" The Fire Pig Pokemon snorted, and shot black smoke out of his snout. The Smokescreen drifted across the floor, making it difficult to see. In the midst of the smoke, Tepig moved silently. The spot where the Electro Ball impacted made a hole in the smoke that was slowly spreading out. Whatever Masuku was planning, he'd better do it fast.

"Alright, Tepig! Let's get this going! Fire Pledge!" Masuku called his partner, hidden in the smoke. All of a sudden, from behind Galvantula, the ball of flames burst from the smoke, and bombed down on top of the Electric Type. I suppose I should say it bombed down on the Bug Type, shouldn't I? Anyway, regardless, Glavantula was thrown clear from the smoke, into the air. He crashed into the ceiling, then against a wall, and finally, to the floor. And so, the second battle ended.

"AHHGUH!" Jessie shrieked. "James! Take care of them!" she ordered her blue-haired counterpart.

* * *

"Pikachu, let's go! Quick Attack!" "Pi-Pika!" Pikachu acknowledged as he rushed his opponent.

"Maractus, let's use Sucker Punch!" Marakacchi's arm glowed purple, and it stepped to the side. Pikachu was too close to move out of the way, and Maractus drove his fist into Pikachu's stomach, throwing him back.

"Hehe. Wonderful! Now Maractus, let's try out your Petal Dance!" James called. The pink flowers on the Cactus Pokemon's head began to spin, and pink petals were released into the air. The petals quickly zeroed in on Pikachu, and struck him. When the blast stopped, Pikachu stood, swerving and swaying.

"Haha! Now Pikachu's confused!" James boasted. Maractus' flowers began to spin again, releasing more petals.

"Go, Petal Dance!" The petals shot forward again. "Pikachu! Deflect them with Thunderbolt!" Pikachu loosed the bolt, but it flew around wildly, finally striking Pikachu himself.

"_Ha!_ Pikachu hit himself with his own attack, and now he's going to get hit with Maractus' Petal Dance!" James exclaimed.

"That's what you think! Pikachu, dodge with Quick Attack!" Pikachu dashed out of the way of the petals, and slammed into Maractus.

"How? That's not possible!" James cried. "That's where you're wrong. I knew Pikachu would probably hit himself with that Thunderbolt, so I let him. He shocked himself out of his confusion!" Ash clarified.

"Grr…Maractus! Sunny Day!" For the second time that day, Maractus fired the bright orb to the ceiling.

"Pikachu! Volt Tackle!" The familiar electrical energy formed around Pikachu, and he rushed Maractus.

"Maractus! Solarbeam!" The blast was fired when Pikachu was close to finishing his attack. The blast was huge, and the others were nearly knocked over by the shockwave, but they saw what happened…and they still didn't believe it.

Pikachu had just managed to dodge the beam, and it crashed into the floor. The Mouse Pokemon was too close to Maractus to change course again, so it reached out with a small arm and slugged the Cactus Pokemon as he flew by.

Maractus was thrown away, and he crashed into the wall. He pulled himself out of the wall and stood shakily.

"Ash! That was Thunder Punch!" Buki called out. Ash was shocked. _Thunder Punch?_ He was startled out of his thinking by James.

"Maractus! Needle Arm!" The Cactus Pokemon was closing in fast.

"Ok Pikachu! Let's give it a try! _Thunder Punch_!" Pikachu lit himself up in a electrical aura, like he was going to do Volt Tackle, but the energy concentrated around his tiny hand, forming a large fist made of electricity. He hobbled forward, only being able to use his short legs to move.

The two both swung with their right hands at the same time. Maractus' silver fist crashed into the left side of Pikachu's face, almost knocking him back, but Pikachu rolled his face into it, and slammed his Thunder Punch into Maratcus, knocking him high into the air, where he crashed to the floor with a satisfying _thump_!

* * *

"Ghehehe! Looks like it's my turn, ain't it?" Toppyo asked. "Hn. I know I can defeat this one." James boasted.

"Well, you'd better be on yer game Sonny, or yer gonna be beat! Tirtouga! Aqua Jet!" The Turtle Pokemon moved forward inside his cocoon of water.

"I'm afraid that won't work. Solarbeam!" Another quick Solarbeam, but this one hit it's mark, like Toppyo didn't _want_ Tirtouga to dodge it. Tirtouga was blasted clear from his water, and was blasted over Amoonguss. He landed next to the machine.

"Looks like ya fell for it Sonny. That was m'plan all along! Rock Slide!" Tirtouga leapt up into the air, and crashed down shell first. A shockwave ran through the floor and into the wall. Rocks began to fall toward the machine.

"Hehe! Not so fast Old tim'a! _Fury Swipes_!" Meowth had climbed up to the top of the machine, and was now defending it from the Rock Slide by slashing through the rocks. When the onslaught ended, he jumped down to face Tirtouga.

"Hey! Amoonguss! Help me out, ya big palooka!" The Mushroom Pokemon moved in, and both Pokemon began to bludgeon Tirtouga.

"_No_!" Toppyo tried to go help his poor partner, but Jessie shoved him down.

"I don't think so old man!" The only problem with what happened was that Tirtouga was fiercely loyal to his trainer. They'd seen many years together. Tirtouga was usually very peaceful, but a line had been crossed. He began to glow, and his two attackers were thrown back.

"He's evolving!" Ash, Buki, and Masuku exclaimed together. The light faded. Standing in Tirtouga's place was a bipedal, blue-colored sea turtle. Black, rocky structures covered its face, forming a "mask," that shaved his bushy mustache off. Its shell grew even bulkier, and grew around to partially cover his chest. Its flippers were long, with black "fingers" at the tips. It had short legs, and two short black toes on each foot.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex. _Carracosta. The Ancient Turtle Pokemon. It has extremely powerful jaws, and can open a hole in a tanker with a single slap._

"You evolved for me?" Toppyo asked his partner. He received a nod. "Alright then! Least we can do is help out these youngin's!" Meowth and Amoonguss moved in again.

"Carracosta, use Ancientpower!" Carracosta roared, and chunks of rock flew out of the ground, encircling him. With another roar and a movement from his flippers, the rocks flew out in all directions, hitting the opposing Pokemon in front of him, and the machine behind him. It started smoking, and it began to explode.

"Everybody out!" Buki called. Shouts of "_Return_!" were heard as Pokemon were returned to their Pokeballs. Everyone ran out of the tunnel, except for Team Rocket. The Drilbur dove out of the ground and surrounded them. A couple of them winked at Buki as they kept running. He gave them his silent thanks.

* * *

**With Team Rocket**

* * *

"Wait! Let us go!" Jessie cried. The machine was about to blow, and they were still stuck in the cavern. Suddenly, all the Drilbur dove back into the ground, leaving Team Rocket puzzled.

"Why'd they-" BBBBBBBOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

* * *

**Outside**

* * *

The others had just made it outside when they heard the machine blow deep inside the caves. The roof was blown off, and they saw Team Rocket in the air.

"_We're blasting off again_!" The three cried together. They flew off, with only a _ding_ and a speck of light to show they'd been there.

* * *

**At Toppyo's House**

* * *

"Well, I'm sorry to see ya youngin's go, but you'll find Nacrene City about two miles in the distance." Toppyo told the boys. They were outside his house, and it was after they'd come back from the caves. He'd made them wait so he could get something to give them for their assistance. He now held his gift under a towel.

"Bye boys. I'm athinkin' I'm gonna miss ya." He said, handing the item to Ash. Ash took the towel off, and the three boys marveled at it.

"A Pokemon egg?" They asked together. "Another item I found on my travels. This was a more recent find actually. I found it in the caves before all this Team Rocket nonsense. I'm abettin' it's rare. I don't have what it takes to raise it. It needs a trainer. I'm sure ya can do the job right Ash. Besides, yer the only one who didn't get a new Pokemon today."

* * *

**Alright guys! Filler is now OVER! What'll happen next you may ask? If you guessed GYM BATTLE, you'd be right! Will Ash's egg hatch next chapter? If not, when? What Pokemon will it be? Why am I asking YOU all these questions? Find out next time on Pokemon: Best Wishes! Ja Nae!**


	7. Nacrene City

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Once more working on changing the things that are screwed up. I think this is the last chapter for changing names, because I had already done so previously.**

* * *

"Woohoo!" Masuku cried. He was making a fuss over the fact that the three travelers had finally made it to their destination: Nacrene City. The boys were going to make their way directly to the gym, but they didn't know where it was. The city was full of warehouses. Any one of them could've been what they were looking for. They went past a few buildings, and one stood out to them. "Battle Club"

"Hmm…whoever's here should know about the Gym." Buki pointed out. The three of them walked in. One of the many Don Georges stood in the middle of a battlefield. There was a girl at each end. A match had just ended, and Don George walked over.

"How can I help you boys?" He asked. The boys told him the problem, and he directed them to the Gym.

* * *

"Well…this is it." Ash said. They stood outside the Nacrene City Museum. Don George's last words to them echoed in all three heads.

"_The Nacrene City Gym Leader is Lenora. She uses Normal type Pokemon in battle, and they have great speed. I've seen many trainers lose. If you need help, come back here, and we'll train your Pokemon."_

"This might be tough." Buki noted. The boys nodded to one another, and walked through the automatic doors. They were met by a slight, nerdy man, in a gray suit.

"Hello, and welcome to the Nacrene Museum. Feel free to view the exhibits." the man informed. "Actually," Buki began, "we're here to challenge Lenora." The man's smile got a few teeth bigger.

"Right this way." He led the way through a doorway in the back of the museum. Inside was a giant library. In front of the first shelf was a tall black woman with blue-green hair.

"You have some challengers dear." He informed. The woman smirked. "Well then, I am Lenora! Welcome to my Gym!" She spread her arms wide.

"You mean we battle here?" Ash asked. Lenora smiled again. "Not quite. You'll be escorted to the battlefield soon. First, you must do some research." She reached behind her, grabbing a book. "I recommend this."

Masuku went off, looking for something interesting, but Buki and Ash stood looking at the book Lenora held out to them. Buki motioned for his little brother to return to them, and then asked "May we see that book?" Lenora nodded and passed it over with a smile. The boys opened to the first page, and the wall in the back of the library slid up, revealing the battlefield. The boys gaped.

"Congratulations. I'm quite surprised. Usually my challengers go to look for whatever interests _them_, like the little one, instead of grabbing the answer from right in front of their nose. Now, I welcome you to my battlefield! Allow me to show you who you'll be facing!" She drew two Poke-balls, and threw them.

The first Pokemon was a small puppy. It had big eyes, brown fur, and a cream colored face. Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _Lillipup. The Puppy Pokemon. It faces strong opponents with great courage. But, when at a disadvantage in a fight, this intelligent Pokemon flees._

The other Pokemon was a groundhog. It was reddish brown, with a long tail, and yellow rings circling its body. Ash's Pokedex chimed out: _Watchog. The Lookout Pokemon. When they see an enemy, their tails stand high, and they spit the seeds of berries stored in their cheek pouches._

"Each of you will have a two on two battle with me. You must knock out both of my Pokemon. If you do, you'll get the Basic Badge." Lenora informed the boys.

"Fine. Then it's only fair you get to see who you're facing!" Buki called. "Sawk! Drilbur!" The blue fighting type and the mole Pokemon popped out, and stood, proud of their power.

"Go! Throh and Tepig!" Masuku yelled. Then it was Ash's turn. "Alright Pikachu. You to Pidove!" He placed his bag, which held his egg, carefully on the ground. "So, who goes first?"

* * *

"Let's go Lillipup!" "Sawk!" "The battle between the challenger, Buki Shiyousha from Driftveil City and the Gym Leader Lenora can now _begin_!" Lenora's husband called.

"Sawk! Use Close Combat!" Sawk moved in. Lenora smirked as Lillipup began to dodge the punches and kicks.

"Enough of this! Roar!" Lenora commanded. Lillipup opened its mouth and unleashed a red shockwave across the field. Sawk was returned to his Poke-ball. Drilbur was dragged out of his ball, and stood on the field, confused.

"And now, Lillipup, return! Go Watchog!" The Lookout Pokemon took the field. "Mean Look!" Dark eyes opened around Drilbur, and a blue spark ran across his body, keeping him on the field.

"My guess is you've never been hit with Roar? Well, this is my strategy! You're confused, and _I'll take advantage of it!_ _Watchog! Iron Tail!_" Watchog closed the distance in seconds, and whipped its glowing tail across Drilbur. The Ground type staggered back.

"It'll take more than that! Drilbur! Earthquake!" The Mole Pokemon leaped up, and landed with a crash and a wave rolling across the ground. Watchog was thrown into the air, and hit the wall with a crash. It stood.

"Watchog! Flash!" The rings glowed, and a bright yellow beam shot from both eyes. Drilbur's eyes, used to darkness, were rendered completely useless.

"Now! Hyper Fang!" Watchog's fangs glowed, and extended. The Lookout Pokemon moved forward.

"Drilbur! Listen!" for a second, nothing happened, then, quick as a flash, the Mole Pokemon whirled around, swiping out with a Metal Claw on an unseen target. There was a crash, and Watchog fell off the wall. This time, it stayed down.

"Watchog is unable to battle! Drilbur wins!" Lenora's husband called out. Lenora returned her Pokemon with a murmur of a long rest.

"That was unexpected. I'll admit, I never thought you could pull off a win after that Flash. It won't happen again. Go Lillipup!" The Puppy Pokemon was back for its second round.

"Fine, but Drilbur isn't trapped anymore. Return!" He drew his other Poke-ball. "Go Sawk!"

"Second round…BEGIN!" called the ref. Buki wasted no time. "Sawk! Rock Smash!" his Pokemon dashed into action, with his fist glowing silver.

"Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. Lillipup shot three orbs of purple energy, each slamming into Sawk's midsection. He flew to the other side of the field.

"Lillipup! Quick Attack!" The Puppy Pokemon disappeared from view, briefly reappearing with a shout of "Pup!" It ended in a tackle to Sawk's chest, moving him a few inches.

"NOW! Double Kick!" Sawk kicked low once, sending Lillipup airborne. Then, Sawk spun, and sent another kick, knocking the smaller Pokemon to where it came from, hitting the wall. It struggled to its feet.

"Use Roar!" The shockwave hit again, and Drilbur was in Sawk's place. "Shadow Ball!" The three orbs came fast, pushing Drilbur back. "Keep at it!" Lenora called. Lillipup flashed all around the field, shooting multiple Shadow Balls at a time.

"Use Dig! Quick!" Drilbur ducked down to safety. "Dodge with Quick Attack!" Lillipup weaved back and forth across the field.

"Metal Claw!" Drilbur flew from the ground inches from Lillipup and swung a set of claws toward the small dog. A small movement by the latter and the claws missed the target. Drilbur landed and brought the other set up, like an uppercut. Lillipup dodged again.

"Bite!" Lillipup moved in and latched onto Drilbur's paw. "Shake it of Drilbur!" No dice. "Damn it! Drilbur, Dig!" Into the ground they went.

"Now, come up!" Drilbur came back to the surface, without Lillipup. "Earthquake!" The ground shook again, and Lillipup was blasted out of the ground. It landed not far away, with dirt caked into its fur.

"Lillipup is unable to battle! Winner: Buki Shiyousha from Driftveil City!" the husband called.

"That was a fantastic battle. I'm proud to give you the Basic Badge." Lenora congratulated, handing Buki the purple and gold badge. He bowed.

* * *

**A Half-Hour Later**

"The battle between the challenger, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, vs. the Leader Lenora, will now BEGIN!" cried the husband moving back.

"Let's go Pidove!" "Watchog!" the trainers called. Both Pokemon prepared for their battle.

"Watchog! Thunderbolt!" The Lookout Pokemon fired the bolt at the Flying type. "Dodge Pidove!" the Tiny Pigeon Pokemon dodged gracefully, sweeping around.

"Let's keep our distance Pidove! Air Cutter!" Pidove flapped his wings, launching the Zs of wind. They never made it to their target. Watchog was already on the other side of the room.

"You won't win like that! Flying types are almost useless considering my Watchog's speed!" Lenora boasted. "Give 'em Thunderbolt!" Watchog fired another burst, and this time it hit. Pidove fell to earth.

"Pidove is unable to battle! Watchog wins!" The referee called. "Alright. You want speed Lenora? Let's show 'em Pikachu!" "PiPi!"

"Round two! BEGIN!" "Watchog, Flash!" "Dodge!" Pikachu avoided the beams as they swept across the field.

"Alright. That's pretty impressive. Too bad it won't help. I just won't get close. Watchog, return!" Lenora grabbed her other ball. "Go Lillipup!" The Puppy Pokemon growled.

"Shadow Ball! Continuous!" Lillipup fired the three standard blasts, and then kept shooting.

"Pikachu, use Agility!" "Pi. Pi. Pi. Pi. Pi. Pi." With every "Pi," Pikachu disappeared, and reappeared in a different place, seemingly at random. Nothing hit. Also, Pikachu had the benefit of a speed boost. Lillipup kept firing.

"Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Pikachu moved across the battlefield in a silver streak, still ducking and weaving the Shadow Ball attacks. He drew close.

"Now, Thunder Punch!" Pikachu used the friction from running and charged it to his fist, creating a larger version like a boxing glove. **BLAM! **Lillipup flew from its place near its trainer, and crashed _through_ the wall. The small Pokemon crawled through the rubble, back into the room. Sparks arched across the small body, and it cringed.

"Good job! You paralyzed Lillipup!" Masuku called from the sidelines.

"Okay! Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Lightning crackled, and burst out all across the Mouse Pokemon. He charged.

"Lillipup is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"

* * *

"Go Watchog!" "Alright Pikachu! Let's win another one!"

"Final Round! BEGIN!" "Go Watchog! Confuse Ray!" Three bursts of energy that looked suspiciously like ducks swirled around Pikachu's head, and then collided. Pikachu's eyes glazed over, and he began to sway.

"I'm afraid it might be over now. My Watchog never loses once his Confuse Ray hits!" Lenora called.

"Pikachu!" Ash called. He had to think. Something low-risk, that wouldn't put him in harms way…probably.

"Agility!" Pikachu disappeared once more, and ran into the wall. Lenora laughed. "Not your plan, was it? Hyper Fang." Watchog dashed in on all fours, fangs bared.

"Actually…Thunder Punch." Surprisingly to Lenora, Pikachu whirled around, slugging poor Watchog as soon as it got close enough. It spiraled into the air, and came back down in a heap. Sadly, it got to it's feet quickly.

"That was interesting. I'm guessing the hit against the wall knocked the confusion out of Pikachu?" Lenora asked.

"Actually, it was a fluke. Pikachu gave me a sign to know he was ok. I just trusted him." Ash laughed. There were sweat drops all around.

"You…you really didn't plan that?" Lenora asked. He shook his head in the negative.

"Alright. Let's just end this. Watchog! Iron Tail!" Pikachu was knocked into the air.

"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Pikachu lit up his tail and rose it over his head. "Thunderbolt!" the electricity drew back into the Iron Tail, and Pikachu swung it down. A sound comparable to a baseball being hit for a homerun, and Watchog pitched forward face first into the ground.

"Watchog is unable to battle! Winner: Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Called Lenora's husband.

"You did good. I'd be obliged if you'd take the Basic Badge." Lenora presented.

"WOOHOO! I just got: the Basic Badge!" Ash cried, posing in victory. More sweat drops from Buki and Masuku.

* * *

**A Little Later**

"And now, the battle between the challenger, Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil City, and Leader Lenora…BEGIN!"

"Go Lillipup!" "Let's go Tepig!" "Pup, pup." "Tepig!" "Lillipup! Use Quick Attack!" "Pup. Pup. Pup. Pup. Pup."

"3, 2, 1." Masuku muttered. "Now. Ember!" Tepig reared back, and shot the fiery sparks from his snout. The Puppy Pokemon appeared in the middle of the miniature firestorm.

"Use Nitro Charge!" Tepig sucked the embers back toward his body, and tackled Lillipup. The Normal type was knocked to the middle of the field, where it returned to its feet.

"Lillipup, use Take Down!" Lillipup ran in a straight line, using its already amazing speed to its fullest extent, and just when it got close, "Now, use Shadow Ball!"

The two Pokemon collided in the middle of the orb. Tepig was thrown off the field, and he didn't get up. Lillipup however looked unaffected.

"Normal types aren't affected by Ghost type moves like Shadow Ball. Lillipup took no damage."

"Tepig is unable to battle! Lillipup wins!" called Lenora's husband. "Tepig, return." Masuku sighed. "You've earned a fantastic rest." Masuku pulled out his last Poke-ball. "Throh, I choose you!"

"Lillipup, return. Take a rest. I won't need your assistance anymore." Lenora boasted to her Pokemon. "Go Watchog."

"Second round, BEGIN!" "Watchog, use Super Fang!" Watchog moved in, and bit down on the significantly slower Throh.

"Heh. Normal type moves aren't very effective against Fighting types." Masuku exclaimed. "That's where you're wrong on this one kid. Super Fang automatically takes away half the health of your Pokemon. One more, and you're out." Lenora informed.

"Wha-what?" "Super Fang." Watchog closed in again. "Super Power!" Throh glowed blue and punched Watchog out of the air. Watchog recovered quickly. "Mountain Storm!" Masuku called. Throh leaped up, flipped in the air, and began a crushing decent.

"Watchog! Thunderbolt!" The bolt shot Throh off course, straight into the ground. Throh stood back up.

"End this Watchog. Super Fang!" "Vital Throw!" As Watchog neared, Throh slammed his hip out, knocking the Lookout Pokemon toward the ground. Before he could complete the move however, Watchog slipped away from Throh, and dashed in with the Super Fang.

"Throh is unable to battle! Lenora is the winner!"

* * *

"We need to train, Don George." Masuku begged, bowing deeply.

"Come on. We'll train you up." Don George promised.

* * *

**Three Days Later**

"Back again huh?" Lenora asked. "Did you train? If not, I doubt the ending will be any different."

"Trust me Lenora. I trained with Don George so hard that you wouldn't believe it." Masuku promised.

"Ok then. I guess we'll get started." Lenora grabbed her two Poke-balls. "GO!" Watchog popped out, but the other Pokemon was a mystery. It was another dog-like Pokemon. It was a Scottish Terrier, with a cape of black fur, and tan fur on its face that formed a bushy mustache and eyebrows. Masuku pulled out his Pokedex.

_Herdier. The Loyal Dog Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Lillipup. It has black, cape-like fur that is very hard and decreased the amount of damage it receives._

"See. My Lillipup evolved into Herdier. I'd like to see how you do now." Lenora bragged.

"I'd like to believe I'll do just fine."

* * *

"The rematch between the challenger, Masuku Shiyousha and Leader Lenora is ready to BEGIN!"

"Go Watchog!" "Go Throh!" the trainers called out. Throh flexed his arms, and Watchog flexed his jaws.

"Watchog! Thunderbolt!" "Dodge Throh!" The Judo Pokemon threw himself sideways out of the path of the bolt of lightning. He rolled to his feet just as Watchog came in with a Super Fang attack.

"Use Bulldoze!" Throh did a quick thrust with both hands, knocking Watchog off its feet. "Now, Mountain Storm!" Throh jumped up, and crashed down on top of Watchog.

"Thunderbolt once more!" Throh was lit up with yellow lightning. He rolled off Watchog, and leapt back to his feet. Albeit slower than before. "Super Power!" Throh's arms glowed blue, he clasped them together, and hammered Watchog with them. He kept hitting until Watchog stopped moving.

"Watchog is unable to battle! Throh wins!" Called the husband. Lenora returned Watchog to its Poke-ball. She was all serious now.

"That's alright Watchog. You've earned rest." She grabbed her other ball. "Go! Herdier! Shadow Ball!" The Loyal Dog burst from its ball and fired the orbs of dark energy. The blasts hit Throh, and threw him across the field.

"Mountain Storm!" Throh rolled to his feet, and leaped into the air. He came down hard.

"Take Down!" Herdier bunched his muscles and jumped up into the air, leaving a streak of white behind him. "Shadow Ball!" The explosion threw Throh to the ground.

"Throh is unable to battle! Herdier wins!" "Alright. Guess it's your time to shine. Let's show 'em what we're made of! Go PIGNITE!" Tepig had evolved. Pignite was a bipedal pig Pokemon. He was built like a small wrestler, with brown fur on the chest and across the shoulders, and also on his rabbit-like ears. There were two gold tufts of fur on his chest, and he wore a determined smirk.

"Pignite! Let's go! Arm Thrust!" Pignite's hands glowed, and he let loose on the Loyal Dog with powerful palm strikes. With the last one, he sent Herdier flying into the air. "Let's show 'em the _other_ new move! Electro Charge!" Pignite flexed, and sparks erupted across his body. He jumped, and punched Herdier down to the ground.

"Herdier is unable to battle! Winner: Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil City!" Masuku was just handed his badge when the building shook, and the screams started.

**Well, there it is. I dunno, might've seemed a little dry at the end, but it's after 1:00, and I'm runnin' on fumes. If you've played Black or White, you'll know what come's next, but I'm gonna change it up, and I'd appreciate it if you don't ruin it for the other readers. Gonna upload this in the morning, and hope I can upload again soon. Ja Nae.**


	8. Clash in Pinwheel Forest!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Alright. Hopefully, I'll have Internet back on my computer within the week. Then, I'll be able to update at my leisure. Until then, I'm not sure when I'll be able. Bear with me. So, last Chapter, the boys have gained a new Badge, and a new problem. What's going to happen now? Also, typo: Last chapter should've read Chapter Seven: Nacrene City!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Clash in Pinwheel Forest!**

* * *

The building stopped shaking. Lenora looked to the boys. "Well…what do you think that was?" Masuku asked her. A scientist from the museum level ran onto the field.

"Lenora! We've got trouble! Someone's made off to Pinwheel Forest with our Dragonite skull!" The scientist cried. The Gym Leader whirled around. "What are we waiting for! We've got to move! Lead the way!" Everyone left the Gym, and took off toward the edge of the city.

"I'm sorry boys. I've got to go back and secure the Museum. Can you three take over here?" Lenora asked as they stood in front of the entrance to the forest.

"Of course we can Lenora." Buki answered. The Gym Leader turned and went back into the city with her husband and the scientist.

"What did you do that for brother? We don't know who we're looking for." Masuku stated. Buki was not deterred.

"Doesn't matter brother. Let's go. It shouldn't be that hard." As Buki replied to his brother, two figures stepped out of the shadows. They were wearing old time armor and chain mail, and under their hoods you could see identical shocks of red hair. On their breastplates was a black shield with an electric blue letter 'P.' They spoke together.

"You'll go no further. Team Plasma will not allow you to interfere!" Both of them drew a Poke-Ball.

"Alright then. If it's a battle you guys want, it's a battle you'll get!" Ash declared. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" "PI-KA-CHU!" The two 'knights' were blasted through the opening of the forest, into a large tree. They were out cold. The three boys ran into the woods. Buki stopped.

"_Gyaooooooooooo!_" It was an ethereal sound. Beautiful, but scary. The others hadn't heard it, and kept running, but noticed their friend a few feet from where they were.

"What's wrong brother?" Masuku asked. "You guys keep going. I have to check something out." Buki whirled around, going in a completely different direction further into the forest.

* * *

**With Buki**

* * *

Buki had left Ash and Masuku at least ten minutes ago, and he was still running. That sound compelled him on. He couldn't believe the others couldn't hear it, in tune to Pokemon as they were.

The swordsman found a break in the trees, and walked into a clearing. The patch of bright green grass was dominated by a Pokemon. It was a six foot tall quadruped. Its wide head was green, along with most of its body. The fur that wasn't green was the cream colored fur on its back legs. All four legs ended in a hoof that took the shape of a green boot with pink trim. His Pokedex awoke quickly and spouted information without Buki touching it.

"_Virizion. The Grassland Pokemon. This Pokemon fought humans in order to protect its friends. Legends about it continue to be passed down."_

"Wow. It's so majestic." Buki remarked. As if first noticing him, Virizion raised its head, and let out its cry again. Buki dropped to the ground. The Grassland Pokemon vanished.

* * *

"_Come get some, motherfuckers_!" Masuku cried, dropping from the sky. He knocked three more of the 'knights' to the ground. "When ya get to hell, tell 'em Masuku sent ya!"

"You're a little _too_ enthusiastic, aren't you Masuku?" Ash asked the energetic boy. "Maybe you aren't enthusiastic _enough!_" Masuku shot back.

"Whatever." Ash laughed. They turned to the last guy. He held the gigantic skull above his head. "Y-You can't defeat me! This skull will realize Team Plasma's goals!"

"Fool. That isn't the item we needed." A voice said from the shadows. A strange looking man stepped out. "Hello. I am Ghetsis. I am the leader of the Seven Sages. We are the top members of Team Plasma. Our plan is to liberate Pokemon so that I…so that Team Plasma will be the only ones to have Pokemon." He turned to the last knight. "Return that to them. Now."

"Yes my Lord." He handed the Skull to Ash. Ghetsis spoke again. "Soon, you'll see the errors of your ways, and you'll release your Pokemon."

* * *

Ash and Masuku went to the mouth of the forest. They stood, waiting for the third member of their group. Then, a small tree toppled over, cut clean across. Buki stepped out, looking angry as he sheathed his sword. There were scratches across his face, and on his kimono.

"What happened to you?" Masuku asked his older brother. "Don't want to talk about it." Replied the swordsman. "Let's just get back to the Museum."

* * *

"Thanks so much you guys. I'm glad I picked the right guys to help me out." Lenora praised. "Actually dear, they were the only trainers available, weren't they?" Her husband interjected. "Oh shut up Hawes." The Leader laughed.

"Listen, Lenora, we met this weird guy in the forest." Ash began. Soon enough they'd retold their whole story. Lenora stood still in thought. "I don't know what to tell you guys. It doesn't seem like he was threatening you guys, but you should still be on the lookout." With that, the boys departed.

* * *

"Well, what's next guys?" Masuku asked. "I think we should head for Castelia City. It's the largest city in the Unova Region. There's a Gym there too." Buki replied.

"That's good. How far away do you think we are?" Ash asked. "Well, after we go back through the forest, it's just across Skyarrow Bridge." "What's Skyarrow Bridge?" Ash asked again. "There are four bridges in the Unova Region. Skyarrow's just the first one."

* * *

"I can't believe we've gotta go all the way back through the forest!" Masuku complained. Buki looked at him, exasperated. "You realize we aren't going through the forest again, right brother? There _is_ a path." He pointed in the direction of a paved road picking up where the road into the forest left off.

"Why didn't we notice that before?" Ash asked. "Because you guys are morons." Buki laughed. They had been walking on the path for a few moments, and it was oddly quiet. Until….

"You must stop! I will _not_ allow you to pass!" The speaker was a short boy in a white tank-top and khaki shorts. He wore a straw hat and had a butterfly net swung over his shoulder.

"I am Kouki! The Bug Master!" He pulled out two Poke-Balls. "I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"We've got no choice, do we?" Masuku asked. Buki shook his head. "Fine." Ash started. "How many Pokemon do you have?" "I have six of the most glorious Bug Type Pokemon!"

"Alright then. We'll do two on two, two on two, and two on two." Buki declared.

* * *

"This will be the battle of a lifetime! Go Beedrill!" The Poison Bee Pokemon took to the sky. "Who wants to go first?" Kouki asked. Buki stepped up. "Go Drilbur!"

"Drill!" "Alright Drilbur! Use Smack Down!" Drilbur used his claws to throw a rock from the ground at Beedrill. The rock hit Beedrill and forced it to the ground.

"Oh no! My Beedrill can be hit by Ground Type attacks!" "That's right! Drilbur, use Earthquake!" The Mole Pokemon leapt into the air and landed hard, sending the familiar shockwave rippling across the ground. Beedrill was thrown back into the air.

"Metal Claw!" Buki called. Drilbur got close to the falling Bug Type and prepared to swing. "Agility!" Kouki replied. Beedrill moved out of the way quickly and flashed around the clearing.

"Ok. That makes things a little more difficult…Got it! Sandstorm!" Drilbur imbedded his claws into the ground and whipped dirt into the air. The wind picked up and the sand became a blinding wall of sand.

"Damn it! Beedrill! Endeavor!" Beedrill could (barely) be seen crossing its twin-needles over its thorax. A wave of energy exploded outward and hit Drilbur.

"Ha! Your Drilbur's health has dropped down to Beedrill's level! Beedrill! Twin-Needle!" "Looks like you forgot the ability of Sandstorm. Check it out." Beedrill was buffeted by the Sandstorm and fell from the sky.

"Beedrill is unable to battle. Drilbur wins!" Masuku yelled triumphantly. Buki smirked. "Drilbur, return." "Why bring your Drilbur back?" Masuku asked. "He's gotten pretty weak. Dewott can handle it from here. Go!" The otter-weasel burst from his Poke-Ball.

"Fine. I'm sure you can't beat me now. Go Shedinja!" "Crap. Shedinja is the Shed Pokemon. It can only be beaten by a Super-Effective move." Buki said.

"That's right! You can't beat Shedinja with a Water Type! I should tell you, I've worked very hard to make my Shedinja learn this move! Use Endeavor!" The same wave of energy hit Dewott. The Water Type fell to the ground, but when he stood up, he glowed with a faint blue aura.

"This is Dewott's Torrent. When his health dips below a third, his Water Type moves get a powerful boost." Buki declared. "It doesn't matter. Dewott has one health point, just like my Shedinja. One more attack is all it needs. Speaking of which, I have one that never misses. Shadow Sneak!" Shedinja disappeared into the ground. A black streak moved across the ground and swiped past the Water Pokemon.

"Oh man. Dewott is unable to battle. Shedinja wins." Kouki laughed. "See? You can't beat me. I'm the Bug Pokemon Master!" "Grr. I'm not out yet. Drilbur I choose you!" The mole Pokemon returned to the field, hunched and panting.

"Looks pretty finished to me." Kouki taunted. "Shadow Sneak!" Shedinja vanished again. "Damn it. Use Dig!" Drilbur leapt into the ground. "That won't work." Kouki vowed. He was right. Drilbur was thrown from the ground, high into the air. Shedinja had tackled him underground. Drilbur's already beady pupils had shrank even more at the impact. Drilbur hit the ground and disappeared back into it.

"It won't work!" Kouki shouted. Then the ground began to shake. Cracks formed into the ground and a bright silver light shone out of them. Chunks of earth flew into the air, and a sleek drill shape came up with them. In midair the drill-point splits in three, revealing a white face. The drill-point was actually the new Pokemon's head and arms. The head portion jutted out over the white face, shielding it. The arm portions were the claws. His body was brown with red markings.

"Excadrill!" He declared. Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _Excadrill, the Subterranean Pokémon, and the evolved form of Drilbur. Excadrill can dig maze-like underground tunnels for over 100 meters and is powerful enough to cut through thick iron plates using its steel claws._

"Drilbur evolved!" Masuku exclaimed. "I-it still doesn't matter!" Kouki cried. "Shedinja still can't be defeated by a Ground Type!" "It seems you forget what happened to Beedrill?" At Kouki's blank look, he gave a little reminder. "Smack Down." Excadrill threw a small boulder at Shedinja, who crumpled to the ground. Kouki looked devastated.

"Shedinja is unable to battle! Excadrill wins!" Masuku cried with a grin. "And that means I win my battle." Buki said.

* * *

"Alright. Who goes next then?" Kouki asked, a little dejected. Ash stepped up. "We do. Go Pidove!" The Pigeon Pokemon unfurled his wings and ruffled his feathers.

"Alright. I think I've got something to give you a challenge." Kouki pulled out his third Poke-Ball. "Go Shuckle!"

"Oh, damn." Buki laughed. "He's pretty friggin' determined this time." Masuku added.

"Shuckle! Use Rock Slide!" Shuckle glowed with a blue aura. The two rocks used by Excadrill's Smack Down began to glow too. They rose into the air, broke apart, and flew at the Flying Type at full, deadly speed.

"Dodge!" Ash called. Pidove flew acrobatically around most of the rocks, but a few hit their mark.

"Pidove! Aerial Ace!" Pidove disappeared and flashed toward Shuckle. As soon as he reappeared, "Shuckle! Rollout!" Shuckle sucked his yellow appendages into his shell and slammed into the Pigeon Pokemon, knocking him away and into the ground.

"Jeez. Shuckle wins." Masuku pouted. "It's alright. You did good Pidove. Return!" He turned to his partner. "Ready Pikachu?" "Pika-Pika!"

"Hehe. Mud-Shot!" Shuckle shot globs of mud out of his mouth flying at Pikachu. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu flew past the blasts and crashed into Shuckle.

"_Ha!_ Wrap!" Shuckle's yellow legs wrapped around the Mouse Pokemon, keeping it in place. Then, they began to reel in, holding Pikachu against Shuckle's red shell. Ash made a decent decision.

"Pikachu! Think you can fit an ear into one of those holes!" Pikachu jammed an ear into said hole and stared at his trainer expectantly. "Thunderbolt!" The blast lit up Shuckle, the shell offering no protection to the soft body underneath. The rubbery limbs uncoiled and Pikachu moved back.

"Alright Pikachu. Finish this up. Iron Tail!" The solid bar of metal slammed into Shuckle's shell from above. You could hear the crack as Shuckle's beady eyes blinked out.

"Pikachu wins!" Kouki sighed. "Fine. Let's get this over with. Go Ninjask!" "Feel up for another round Pikachu?" The Mouse Pokemon nodded.

"Ninjask! Let's get close! X-Scissor!" The Ninja Pokemon vanished and reappeared in front of Pikachu with its fore-limbs crossed. He slashed Pikachu and disappeared again, moving back to his starting point. Kouki laughed. "Again! X-Scissor again!" Ninjask disappeared again.

"Just what I hoped for! Thunder Punch!" The aura of electricity flared up and across to Pikachu's fist just as Ninjask reappeared. Pikachu slugged the Ninja Pokemon, knocking it away.

"Ninjask is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" Masuku cheered. "That means Ash wins! My turn!"

* * *

"This is pitiful. But, I know I can defeat you." Kouki boasted. "I wouldn't be too sure. My brother's more powerful than he looks. Send out your first Pokemon." Buki ordered. "Fine. Go Butterfree!" The Butterfly Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball with a shrill, happy-sounding chirp.

"Let's go Pignite!" Masuku's starter burst out in all his glory, flexing his fur-covered muscles. Kouki looked terrified. Then he brightened. He laughed loudly. "Hehe. Butterfree! Psybeam!" Multi-colored light gathered between Butterfree's antenna. He fired the light in a jagged burst that knocked Pignite off his feet.

"_Hahahahahahaha! _You pitiful bastard! You never stood a….chance against my…Butterfree?" Kouki started boastful, but ended in disbelief as Pignite stood up.

"Pignite. Fire Pledge." Masuku said with venom. Pignite formed the orb of fire between his hands, raised it overhead, and threw it at the Butterfly Pokemon. Flames crackled to life across Butterfree's body. With another chirp, the poor Pokemon hit the ground.

"Oh, my poor Butterfree!" Kouki cried with rivers of tears pouring from each eye. Suddenly, flames replaced the tears as he stood defiantly. "Fine then! Taste the power of my _first_ Pokemon!" He drew his last Pokeball. It was a Nest Ball. "Go, _Heracross!_"

"Let's make this quick and easy! Aerial Ace!" The blue beetle flew into the air. It looped back and a silver light shined, looking like the large horn was splitting the air.

"Stop it with Arm Thrust!" Masuku called. Pignite threw both hands out in front of him, and caught Heracross by the horn. "Now Flame Charge!" Flames burst out across Pignite. The Fire Type tossed Heracross and hammered his shoulder into the Bug Type. The flames transferred from body-to-body.

"Shake it off Heracross! Use Megahorn!" Heracross got on all fours with his horn aimed at Pignite. The horn began to glow. "Heracro!" He pushed off with his feet, using his arms to propel himself. He jammed the horn into Pignite's round body. He flipped his head back and sent Pignite flying into the air. Pignite crouched his body together, then extended itself spread-eagled. He was encased in an orb of dark red fire with yellow flames around the edges. He dropped from the sky headfirst, somersaulting so that when he finally crashed down on Heracross, it was his rear, not his face. Pignite crawled out of the crater he created, and Heracross didn't.

"Heracross is unable to battle! Masuku and Pignite win!" Buki called. Masuku ruffled the fur between Pignite's ears. "What move was that buddy?" He asked with a smirk. "It kicked some ass." "That was Heat Crash. It's a move exclusive to Tepig, Pignite, and Emboar." Buki replied. "The heavier the user is compared to the target, the more damage is dealt. Pretty cool."

"Haha! Does Dewott have a signature move?" "Well, Razor Shell is used by Oshawott, Dewott, Samurott and, Shellder, but Shell Shuriken is Dewott's."

"Oh my god! Heracross!" Kouki cried. He jumped down into the crater and lifted his fallen partner to his feet. "Return." He crawled back out of the pit in the ground. "I concede defeat. I'll admit it. I'm not the Bug Pokemon Master. I think that title belongs to the Castelia City Gym Leader. His name is Burgh. I hope you plan on facing him, so he can show you the true power of the Bug Type." Kouki bowed.

* * *

**A Few Hours Later**

* * *

"Damn. I didn't know bridges could be that big." Masuku commented as they stepped off the Skyarrow Bridge. "I know, right? It took us two hours to cross that thing." Ash said. "Guys. Look." Buki pointed. They took their first look at Castelia City. It was a huge, sprawling city, full of gigantic buildings. There were five docks constantly loading and unloading ships. There was only one thing to say.

"How the hell are we gonna find the Gym?"

* * *

**So, that's it. Buki meets Virizion. What might this mean for the future? I plan on using the game for this region to do a lot of the bad guy stuff. Of course you all know that means a possible N/Reshiram Ash/Zekrom fight in the championships. Maybe. If I feel like treating you to it. I got the idea for Kouki from the games. When you get to the end of the forest that's inevitably in every game, you end up going head to head with an annoying Bug Catcher with six Bug Types. They're always a pain in the ass, but what can you do? Next chapter, a little bit of searching for the Gym, and then the Gym Battle. Ja Nae.**


	9. Combat In Castelia City

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**I was wrong. I now have to go through EVERY chapter and change Futachimaru to Dewott, and Daikenki to Samurott. If I'm gonna change it, might as well change all of it.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Combat in Castelia City**

* * *

It was an hour after stepping off the bridge, and they boys had _just_ entered the giant city known as Castelia. It was an impressive place. Masuku had never been in a city that big before, though Driftveil wasn't exactly a small town either. Ash and Buki however, were reminded of cities like Celadon, Goldenrod, and Hearthome.

The three walked farther into town, and saw a big tent, like for a circus. There were people lined up all the way around the tent. There was an old wooden sign with a faded poster tacked to it. The poster featured Fighting Type Pokemon from Kanto. Ash had seen this poster before.

"Oh wow! This is a poster for the P1 Grand Prix." He said. The other two looked at each other and grinned. "We used to watch that every year before I left on my journey!" Buki exclaimed. "I still watched while he was gone." Masuku said.

"I won it the year I started my journey. With my Primeape." "Oh, dude, I think I watched that!" Masuku said. At that moment, a tall man walked out of the tent. He was tan, with brown hair, streaked slightly with grey. He wore a white muscle shirt and red sweatpants.

"Oh man. Anthony! Over here!" The man turned and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Ash, is that you? What's it been, four years?" Ash nodded. "Hey, these are my friends Buki and Masuku." Ash introduced. He looked them over.

"What happened to Misty and Brock?" Anthony asked. "Well, Brock decided to stay home and be a Pokemon Doctor. I said good-bye to him a few months ago. And Misty…well, I'm not exactly sure what she's up to. I'm guessing being Gym Leader in Cerulean City."

"Wait." Buki interrupted. "This Misty, she a redhead? Water Type trainer? Cascade Badge?" Ash nodded. "That's her." "I beat her. She wasn't _too_ tough." The swordsman laughed.

"Anyway, what are you doing here in the Unova region?" Ash asked. "Well, I was named Chairman of the P1 Grand Prix two years ago. Since then I've been traveling with the ring from region to region. That reminds me, you want your Primeape back?"

"You have him here with you?" Ash cried. "Of course. He had to defend his title. He takes part every year. He's won every P1 Grand Prix since you gave him to me for training." Anthony boasted.

"Of course I want him back!" Ash exclaimed. "Wait, are you still taking participants?" Buki asked. "'Cause Masuku and I are both Fighting Type trainers, and we love a good challenge." Masuku nodded.

"Well alright then. Let's go in the tent." Anthony led them inside. They saw a giant boxing ring in the middle of the tent, surrounded by bleachers that were already filled up with spectators, and more people were pouring in.

"Just let me get the sign-up sheets, and Primeape's Pokeball, and we'll be good." Anthony promised, retreating into a small room. When he came back, he was holding a scratched Pokeball and three sheafs of paper.

"Just sign up and tell me what Pokemon you'll be using, and you have a half hour before the show begins." Anthony laughed. The boys signed the papers and they walked back out of the tent.

"We need to practice with Primeape." Buki said. Ash nodded and threw the old Pokeball. The Pig Monkey Pokemon leapt out, punching in form, bouncing from foot-to-foot. When he saw who brought him out, he tackled the hat-wearing trainer in a hug.

"Haha. It's good to see you too Primeape. How'd you feel about a little training before the matches begin?" Primeape nodded.

* * *

"Ok, Dewott. Let's make this a good match, but try not to go to hard on him. He's got matches up later." Buki ordered. Futachimaru gave a little salute. Masuku was over with Throh, using a TM on him.

"Wait. Let me check his moves." Ash said. He pulled out his Pokedex. _Primeape's moves include: Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Close Combat, Final Gambit, Thrash, Focus Blast, and Rock Smash._

"Alright. That's a good set of moves. I think we're ready, right Primeape?" "Primeape!" The Pig Monkey called.

"Alright. Dewott, we'll start this off. Give 'em a taste of your Mirror Shot!" Dewott gripped his shells and swiped them past each other, shooting a green beam of light at Primeape.

"Dodge it and use Thrash!" Primeape stomped his feet and suddenly he was all over Dewoot. He lashed out with punches and kicks, knocking the Otter-Weasel back step after step.

"Now, let's use Final Gambit!" Ash yelled, not quite knowing what the attack would do. Primeape grabbed onto Dewott and began to glow a dull orange. The light enveloped both of them in an orb, and when it dispersed, Primeape was knocked out on the ground, and Dewott was out next to him.

"Wow. So _that's_ what Final Gambit does. Better not use it in the ring." Buki said. The boys hurried to the Pokemon Center just feet from the tent, and Nurse Joy healed Primeape and Dewott back to full health.

* * *

"Ugh. I can't believe we've got to do this." Jessie complained. "The Boss just doesn't understand. We've tried this before!" "Calm down Jessie." James soothed. "At least the Boss _gave _us Pokemon to use instead of making us steal one this time."

* * *

"Alright everybody, listen up! We've got a nice selection of eight participants for you today! First, four of our participants will be eliminated, then, in the semi-finals, two more will be eliminated, leaving the last two to fight it out deciding who will face off against our reining champ, Primeape, who is now being coached by his original trainer, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Anthony announced. The cheers were deafening.

"Our ten participants are as follows! Ash Ketchum fighting with his Primeape!" Cheers. "Buki Shiyousha and his Sawk! Masuku Shiyousha and his Throh! Jess and her Medicham! Jamie and his Scrafty! Kohl and his Machamp! Sayo and her Riolu! Kaiser and his Gurdurr! Nak and his Hariyama! And 'M' and his Mienshao!"

Jessie was disguised in a blue cloak with a red J on it. James was hiding under a red cloak with a blue J on it. They were going by Jess and Jamie, and as usual, no one knew it was them.

Kohl was dark skinned, like an Egyptian. He wore a jeweled collar that sat on his shoulders, and a white skirt. He had no hair.

Sayo had long purple hair. She wore a black sock-cap, black leather jacket, a black skirt, and purple fishnet stockings. She was rather pretty.

Kaiser was a large, muscular man. He wore no shirt, and a pair of ripped training pants. He had short red hair, and a rough face.

Nak was a scrawny boy of about eighteen. He had a cap worn backwards over green hair. He wore red, black, and white checkered shorts that went down past his knees, held up with a cloth belt. a black vest covered his upper body.

'M' was a powerfully built black man. He wore a white sleeveless gi-top with a high collar. Under that, he wore a tan hoodie with no sleeves. The hood was pulled over his head, and he also wore a cap. He wore billowing orange training pants with blue stripes down the sides. He wore orange fingerless gloves and had blue armbands around his biceps. There was a black belt around his waist, and he wore no shoes. The cap's bill threw his face into shadow, but you could see black sideburns and large orange eyebrows. His smile showed a blue mouthpiece on his bottom row of teeth.

"So, let's check out the digital scoreboard to see our match-ups!" Anthony declared. The board took ten pictures, turned them facedown, and shuffled them. Then, it flipped them back over, showing the matches.

"And it looks like it' s gonna be Jess and Kaiser in the first match, Masuku and Nak in the second match, Kohl and 'M' in the third match, Buki and Sayo in the fourth match, and Ash and Jamie in the fifth and final match of the first round!" Anthony cried.

* * *

"Heh. You got no chance little lady." Kaiser said gruffly. He smirked. "I'm gonna mop the floor with ya." He declared.

"That's where you're wrong moron. Let's go Medicham." The Meditate Pokemon leapt into the ring silently.

"Alright then. Let's get to it Gurdurr!" The girder toting Pokemon stomped into the ring as well.

"Remember: You lose if you're knocked out, or thrown out of the ring. Any questions? No? Match One: Begin!" Anthony called, leaping out of the ring. "Medicham, Thunder Punch!" Medicham moved her arms around fluidly before pulling her right fist back. It lit up in a corona of electrical energy.

"Go!" Jess cried. Medicham ran across the ring, thrusting her fist out. "Gurdurr, Superpower!" Gurdurr's I-beam glowed blue and he swung it into the path of the Meditate Pokemon. Medicham was knocked away, but the electricity transferred from fist to beam. Gurdurr fell to one knee, lit up yellow. Medicham stood up across the ring.

"Psychic!" Jess called smugly. Medicham moved her arms around again, and they lit up with a blue light. Gurdurr lit up too, and was drawn into the air. He began to flail. Medicham swept her arms to the side, throwing Gurdurr out of the ring.

At the last second, Gurdurr reached out with one hand, snagging one of the ropes. He sprang back into the ring, flying at Medicham with speed.

"Gurdurr! Hammer Arm!" His arms glowed and he swung his I-beam like a baseball bat. It clipped Medicham and threw her into the air. She righted herself with the same blue energy as before. She snapped her fingers, and Gurdurr was brought back into the air.

"Now throw him away!" Jess cried. Medicham threw her arms up above her head before throwing and Gurdurr was launched from the ring, landing on the ground.

"Winner: Jess and Medicham!" Anthony yelled from the sidelines.

* * *

"Alright Masuku and Nak, send your Pokemon into the ring!" "Ready Throh?" A nod from the red Fighting Type. "Hehe. Let's take 'em out Hariyama!" "Hariyama!"

"And: _Begin!_" "Hariyama! Arm Thrust!" Hariyama, who was faster than Throh, Threw out his large orange hands, knocking Throh back each time. Throh was now at the ropes.

"Ok, time to see if that training paid off. Use Trick Room!" Masuku said. Throh's eyes glowed, and the ring was enveloped in a soft green light. The light faded.

"Really? Trick Room?" Nak asked. "Whirlwind!" "Superpower!" Throh flashed out of sight, reappearing behind Hariyama with his arms glowing blue. He brought them up over his head, clasping his hands together, and hammered them down on Hariyama's head. The Arm Thrust Pokemon crumpled.

"You can't win now that I've taught Throh Trick Room!" Masuku boasted. "We'll just have to see about that." Nak said. "Try Mach Punch!" Hariyama stood back up and his fist glowed silver. "Mack Punch, as you may be aware, _always_ hits first!" "We'll see. Body Slam!" Throh leapt up, somersaulted, and dropped spread-eagled straight at Hariyama.

"_Now_ Hariyama!" Hariyama threw his fist into the air, landing a clean blow into Throh's midsection. "And now Hariyama, let's hit 'em with Whirlwind!" Hariyama swept his other hand into the air, sending a wall of wind skyward. Throh was lifted off of Hariyama's fist. He landed heavily on the edge of the ring. He began to lift his head.

"Oh. I thought that'd end it. Well, let's finish up with Heavy Slam!" Hariyama slammed his large hands against the floor, throwing himself into the air. He spread his arms and legs out and began to glow silver. The glow spread into an orb. Hariyama crashed down in the center of the ring. The shockwaves threw Throh back into the air.

"Heh. Now, give him Whirlwind!" Hariyama swept his arms to the side. The wind blew Throh out of the air and onto the other side of the ring.

"Winner: Nak and Hariyama!" "Don't worry little brother." Buki said. "He won't make it past the next round."

* * *

The Egyptian and the black man stepped up to the ring. "I am honored to face you in battle." 'M' said. "It is also an honor for me." Kohl promised. "Alright. Mienshao, get into the ring." 'M' commanded softly. "Ok Machamp! Let's get going." Kohl ordered.

"And: Begin!" "Machamp! We'll start with Dynamic Punch!" Silver light surrounded all four fists, and Machamp unleashed punch after punch, trying to nail Mienshao.

"Dodge." 'M' called calmly. Mienshao moved quickly and with no wasted movement. Every punch missed. Machamp kept going.

"Force Palm!" 'M' cried. Mienshao flipped an arm to the side, his fur going back revealing his paw. An orb of light appeared around the paw. He whipped it back toward the Superpower Pokemon, the orb traveling to the end of the fur. The fur hit Machamp like a whip, exploding on impact.

"No, Machamp!" Kohl yelled. Then he smiled. "Use Submission!" Machamp's legs flew out of the dust cloud and circled around the Martial Art's Pokemon's neck. He swung them back and grabbed Mienshao's body with all four arms. He rolled back across the ring and threw Mienshao away from him. He hit the ropes and flew back toward Machamp.

"Cross Chop!" Kohl said. Machamp crossed two of his arms across his chest. He caught Mienshao across the throat, and slammed him into the ground, bearing down hard.

"Jump Kick." 'M' said with calmness. Mienshao rolled his legs up under Machamp's body and thrust his feet into the Superpower Pokemon's chest. Machamp flew back and into the air.

"Now, use Hi-Jump Kick!" Mienshao used the momentum of his Jump Kick to get back to his feet. Then he jumped into the air and drove his knee into Machamp's back.

"Seismic Toss!" Machamp forced his arms out of joint, and grabbed Mienshao against himself. He spun around a few times and tried to slam the Martial Arts Pokemon into the ground.

"Reversal." Mienshao was about to be crushed into the ground, but at the last second he shone with an energy that switched the two of them around so that Machamp was the one smoked into the ring.

"Machamp! Are you alright?" The dust cleared and Machamp was knocked out in the middle of the ring.

"Winner: 'M' and Mienshao!"

* * *

"Heh. You're pretty cute." Sayo said. "Shame I'm gonna have to take you down." She smirked. "Uh…something tells me you'd like that a little too much." Buki laughed. "So," The purple haired girl began. "How about we make things more…interesting?" Buki frowned. "Just what do you mean by interesting?"

"Riolu, get in the ring." She said. The small Fighting Type jumped over the ropes. "Fine. Sawk, think you're up for it?" The Karate Pokemon nodded and stepped into the ring.

"Fight 4, Round 1: Begin!" "Riolu, Force Palm!" Sayo cried. Then she launched herself around the ring at Buki, pulling a trench knife from somewhere.

"Where the hell did that thing even _come_ from?" Buki asked. "I want to see just how good you are with that sword!" Their blades clashed together.

"Damn." Buki started. Riolu had almost hit Sawk with his Force Palm. "Triple Kick!" Sawk flicked a foot up into Riolu's midsection. Then he jumped up and roundhouse kicked him with the other leg, and finally spin kicked Riolu away from him.

"Huh. That was pretty good. Your Sawk is strong. Riolu! Aura Sphere!" Riolu put his hands together and formed the orb of Aura. He fired it in a Kamehameha fashion.

"Dodge it!" Sawk lunged to the side. "Rock Smash!" The Martial Arts Pokemon slugged Riolu across the side of his head, knocking him back. Sayo stabbed at Buki again, and he bent back, only getting a cut across the front of his kimono.

"Oh come on! I love this friggin' thing!" Buki swung his short Katana in an arc. She ducked and he cut the edges of her purple hair. "You crazy bitch!"

"I'm not a bitch!" She cried, outraged. She slashed at him. "But you didn't deny crazy!" Buki yelled. "Sawk, let's get this over with! Focus Blast!" Sawk formed the blue blast between his hands. When he moved a hand back to throw it, it was on his middle finger. He flicked the finger and Riolu was thrown back and blasted out of the ring.

"Winner: Buki and Sawk!" "You bastard!" Sayo screamed. She made an overhead stab at Buki's head. "See, you _are_ a crazy bitch!" Buki cried as he pulled his short blade up to block. The trench knife cracked the blade. "Damn it, someone get her away from me!" The blade gave, and Sayo's knife went straight through, into Buki's shoulder.

"Ow!" Buki cried out in pain. "That does it! Dewott, Excadrill, Sawk, _get her away from me!_" "Ok, that's enough. Hitmonchan, escort the young girl away." Anthony commanded. The Punching Pokemon threw the girl over her shoulder and carried her away.

"Call me! Or I can meet up with you at the next town! I'll see you later!" Sayo cried. Masuku stayed silent for about ten seconds, and then burst out laughing. "Shut up little brother." Buki said. "She busted my damn sword." The swordsman said with a tear.

* * *

"Man. My favorite Kimono. Now I have to wear the ceremonial one." Buki said. He'd already been bandaged up and was standing beside the ring again. He hadn't put a shirt on yet. He dug through his bag and pulled out a new blue kimono. It was like the old one except for the wave designs on the sides and the bubbles stitched on the back. He retied his obi and sat down to watch the next match.

"Ash and Jamie, are you ready?" The blue cloaked man and the hat wearing teen nodded. "You ready Primeape?" "Primeape!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon leapt into the ring with energy. He was wearing his Championship Belt. "Hehe. Get in there Scrafty, and we'll show them what we can do!"

"Ok, final match of Round 1: Begin!" "Head Smash!" Jamie commanded. Scrafty jumped high into the air. He was encased in a barrier of blue-white energy, and he fell back toward the ring.

"Primeape! Use Giga Impact!" Ash cried. Primeape knocked his gloved fists together and orange streaks began to spiral around him. Then an orb of purple energy surrounded him. He waited until Scrafty got close, then threw a fist out, crashing into the Hoodlum Pokemon's crested head. The resulting explosion was deafening.

When the smoke cleared, Primeape was kneeling in his corner of the ring, out of breath. Scrafty was standing in the center of the ring, swaying a little.

"Scrafty! Do not bow to them!" Jamie cried dramatically. "Use Hi-Jump Kick!" Scrafty leapt into the air, somersaulted a few times, and came down in an axe kick aimed right at Primeape.

"You've gotta dodge it Primeape!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon tried to stand, but purple sparks flared across his body, and he fell back. The kick landed, pushing Primeape further into the mat. When the pressure disappeared, Primeape bounced back a foot into the air before coming to a rest. The up side however, was that he was able to move again.

"Primeape, you alright?" "_Primeape!_" "That's what I like to hear! Close Combat!" Primeape ran forward. "Scrafty, answer with _your_ Close Combat!" Jamie yelled. The two Fighting Types met in the middle of the ring and began to trade massive punches and kicks, each hit lowering their own Defense, causing each hit to give more damage.

Finally, Primeape saw an opening and launched a fist past Scrafty's guard. The Hoodlum Pokemon was thrown back, hitting the ropes. He was flung back towards Primeape.

"Finish it! Hyper Beam!" "Hyper Beam?" Primeape crossed his arms over his mouth, guarding the orange burst forming. "_Fire!_" Ash commanded. The beam hit Scrafty when he got within a few feet of the Pig Monkey Pokemon. He was blasted across the ring, _through_ the ropes, and into the wall behind.

"Winner: Ash and Primeape!" Anthony declared. "And _that_ my friends, is the exciting conclusion to the First Round! Our remaining competitors will have a rest, and in a half hour, we'll continue the tournament! But first, the match-ups for the Second Round!" He directed attention to the electronic board. The remaining five pictures were brought up. Ash's was removed. (Due to his win, there wasn't any need for him to have another match, because he was participating in the Championship Match.) The pictures were shuffled.

"It looks like the Semi-Final matches are as follows: Nak vs. Buki, and Jess vs. 'M'!"

* * *

"You sure you're ready for this brother? Nak's Hariyama was strong enough to defeat Throh. Can Sawk handle this?" Masuku asked.

"There will be no problem. Sawk and I _will _defeat Nak. And then, I'll win this tournament! And _then_, I'll beat Ash! And _finally_ I'm gonna get a new sword!" Buki declared.

"Good luck with that, friend. I won't go easy on you." Ash answered.

* * *

"Don't worry Buki. I'm not _nearly_ as crazy as Sayo. I'm not gonna stab you. Just beat the hell out of you." Nak boasted. "Hariyama, get in the ring." "Hariyama!" "Hn. Whatever you need to say to make yourself feel better. Sawk, let's go." Buki said.

"First match of the Semi-Finals: Buki vs. Nak: Begin!" "Hariyama! Use Vital Throw!" Hariyama slammed into Sawk. As Sawk fell, Hariyama grabbed him, and smashed him into the ground.

"Sawk! Low Kick!" Sawk swung a blue foot out. Hariyama hit the floor hard, his breath flying from his lungs at the impact.

"Fighting Type Lesson Number One: Low Kick. Always good to have if you're facing a heavy Pokemon. Sawk is faster than you." Buki saw Hariyama standing up. "Low Kick." He commanded again. Sawk knocked Hariyama's arms out from under him, sending him back to the ground.

"Whirlwind!" Nak cried. Hariyama slammed his orange palms against the ground, sending him flying into the air. "Now, Heavy Slam!" The silver energy encircled him once again.

"Oh no, you aren't getting me like you got my brother! Sawk, give 'em a taste of your Fling." Sawk reached into his gi. He pulled out an Iron Ball. He drew back, his arm shaking slightly. He threw it, and it crashed into Hariyama's head. The Arm Thrust Pokemon crumpled.

"Oh my god! What _was_ that?" Nak screamed. "That was an Iron Ball. It makes the user heavier, slower, and it also makes Flying Types susceptible to Ground Type moves. But that's not why I gave it to my Sawk. See, I wasn't lying when I said he was faster than you. My Sawk is as fast as a normal Sawk when he's carrying the Iron Ball. However, he becomes considerably faster when he get's rid of it. His speed is actually much higher than your Hariyama's." Buki explained.

"The Iron Ball is the item to use when you want Fling to be super powered." "You hit my Pokemon with a ball of solid iron?" Nak asked. Hariyama was back on his feet by now. "Let's get rid of them Hariyama! Use Close Combat!" Hariyama attacked but didn't land a hit. Sawk moved like a blur, not touched by anything the Arm Thrust Pokemon threw at him.

"Sawk, use Mach Punch." The Karate Pokemon had a fist in Hariyama's jaw in the blink of an eye. "Strength." Buki smirked. Sawk hefted the large Arm Thrust Pokemon into his arms.

"Use Endure!" Nak yelled. Hariyama focused. Sawk tossed him a few feet in the air and threw both fists out in a powerful double punch. Hariyama flew back a few feet, and crashed into the ground. He stood up.

"That doesn't help. Mach Punch!" _Zoom! Crash!_ Hariyama fell back once more. "And, Strength." The Arm Thrust Pokemon was picked up again, but instead of the double punches, Sawk walked to the edge of the ring and tossed the dazed Pokemon over the edge.

"And it's over! Winner: Buki and Sawk!"

* * *

"Haha! My perfect Pokemon can't be beat! I'll take care of you, and then I'll beat the twerp with the sword, and then, I can beat the main twerp!" Jess boasted. "You should be more humble about your abilities. Everyone can be beat. I'm just the one to show you." 'M' said.

"Fine. We'll see. Get in the ring my marvelous Medicham!" "Mienshao, it's time to drop her down a notch." 'M' sighed.

"Alright, calm down everybody. Second Match of the semi-finals: Begin!" "Use Psychic!" Jess commanded. "Me-First!" 'M' returned. Mienshao's eyes lit up and Medicham was the one lifted into the air. Mienshao nodded and Medicham flew in the indicated direction. Medicham stood up, seemingly unharmed.

"I didn't anticipate your Mienshao knowing Me-First." Jess complimented. "That's why you should expect the unexpected. Because that's the tactic any good trainer will use."

"Don't lecture me! I'm absolutely perfect!" Jess exclaimed. 'M' shook his head in disgust. "Looks like I have to step it up." "Hn. You won't get the chance! Medicham, use Drain Punch!" Medicham's arm glowed green with white streaks spiraling around. She rushed Mienshao.

"Reversal." 'M' said. Mienshao leaned back, wind-milled his arms, and swept the attack around, throwing Medicham away from him. "Good job." 'M' complimented. "Now, let's use Swift." Mienshao crossed his arms over himself and then swept them away, shooting hundreds of gold stars at the fallen Psychic Type. Medicham was thrown high into the air.

"And, Hi-Jump Kick." Mienshao leapt up, driving his knee into the Meditate Pokemon's back. There was a popping noise, and Medicham fell back toward the ground. "Finally, one last Hi-Jump Kick." Mienshao flew after Medicham at full speed, catching up just before the Psychic type hit the ground. He drove his leg into her just as she hit the ground, causing her to half sit-up, eyes wide-but blank. Mienshao leapt away, coming to a halt in the middle of the ring.

"Due to a knockout, the winner is: 'M' and Mienshao!" Anthony declared. "That's bull!" Jess screeched. "James, are you finished? It's time to escape!" James, disguise thrown to the wind, appeared with a bag full of Pokeballs slung over his shoulder.

"Ready Jessie!" He yelled. The audience checked their belts. There were many shouts of disbelief and anger. They had stolen all the Pokeballs of the spectators.

"What have you done Team Rocket?" Buki asked. "You ask us what we've done…" Jessie began. She was interrupted by Buki, Masuku, Ash, and 'M'.

"Dewott, Water Pledge!" "Pignite, Fire Pledge!" "Pikachu, Electro-Ball!" "Mienshao, Aura Sphere!" The four orb attacks swirled around each other, colliding in a massive blast of blue, orange, yellow, and blue-green. Jessie and James were blasted into the air, through the roof of the tent, dropping the Pokeballs back into the ring.

"We're blasting off again!" "Morons." Buki spat. He looked to the three others that attacked. 'M's hood had gotten blown off by the explosion. It revealed a shaved orange head, with the sides being black. He was easily recognized by most of the spectators, because of numerous battles aired on television. It was none other than Marshal, leader of the Elite Four.

* * *

"Alright. Now that _that's_ over," Anthony began with a laugh. "Let's get on to our Final Match. Buki Shiyousha vs. the Elite Four's own: Marshal!"

"Ok. Let's get this over with. I've gotta see a man about a sword." Buki said. "Get in the ring Sawk." The Karate Pokemon leapt over the ropes. "That's fine. I've got a Belt to win." Marshal joked. "Into the ring Mienshao!"

"Hehe. This promises to be an exciting match! Begin!" "Sawk, use Close Combat!" The blue Pokemon dashed to the center of the ring and unleashed his fists at Mienshao. The Martial Arts Pokemon ducked and weaved, making the attacks miss.

"Answer with your Close Combat!" Marshal ordered. Mienshao whipped his fur covered arms at the Karate Pokemon, lashing powerful hits that forced Sawk to move backward.

"Let's go! Bide!" Sawk crossed his arms across his chest and stood still while Mienshao continued to beat the living hell out of him. "Keep going Mienshao. They can't hold on forever." Mienshao kept hitting, and Sawk kept blocking, until:

"_Fire!_" Sawk threw his arms out and launched a silver beam of light that razed the ring, hitting everything. Mienshao was thrown back against the ropes, but he got back to his feet, still going strong.

"You'll have to do better." Marshal declared. "Well then. I can see we're gonna need speed if we plan on winning this." Buki decided. "Get rid of it." Sawk reached into his gi and pulled his Iron Ball out. He dropped it to the floor, where it landed heavily.

"Sound good to you?" Buki asked Marshal. "Whatever. I want to face _all_ my opponents at full strength! Mienshao, Bounce!" The Martial Arts Pokemon leapt high into the air, and crouched on the side of the tent.

"You should feel honored. I usually save this move for when an opponent has me on the ropes. I can't be sure what'll happen with your Sawk powered up. Now GO!" Marshal cried. Mienshao dropped and whipped both fur-covered arms at Sawk.

"Dodge!" Buki yelled. Sawk lunged to the side, but Mienshao clipped him as he fell. The Karate Pokemon fell to the floor, stunned. Yellow sparks flared across his blue body.

"Damn! You paralyzed him!" Buki exclaimed. "Yeah. That's an added effect of Bounce. It has a 30% chance of paralyzing the target." Marshal said, almost apologetically.

"Sadly, it's time this match ended. Bounce!" Mienshao leapt again, flipped, and landed heavily on Sawk, driving the air out of his lungs. His eyes rolled back into his head.

"And there you have it! The winner of the P1 Grand Prix is Elite Four Leader, Marshal!" Anthony declared. "He now gets to decide on whether or not he fights Ash for the Championship! How about it?"

"Actually, Mienshao's pretty tired." He turned to Ash. "Somehow, I think we'll be seeing each other again soon anyway." He looked at Buki. "I'd be honored to have a rematch with you too."

* * *

"Well, bye I guess. I'm sorry you guys didn't feel up to battling, but I'm sure we'll all see you two duke it out someday." Anthony said. "It's alright Anthony. We really need to get to the Gym anyway. Sorry we couldn't give you a match." Ash replied.

"No, it isn't that at all! You guys did amazing." Anthony promised. The three boys turned and began to walk away, in search of the Gym. They all waved over their shoulder at their fading friend Anthony.

* * *

**Oh my god. I'm sorry for not including a battle with Ash and Marshal, but this chapter had already gotten a little TOO long, and it was supposed to be filler. It was a little longer than most of my other chapters for this fic. Now, be honest, how many of you could guess it was Marshal under the hood? Probably not many, cause you may not've known what he looked like. Oh well. I hope I didn't bore you with everything. But, there was a lot of action, and I like action, so meh. Also, sorry if the Sayo/Buki thing was a little over the top, but I wanted some excitement for the Shiyousha Swordsman. Well, doesn't really matter. It' s over and done with now. Hehe. Ja Nae!**


	10. Rumble In the Garden

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Ok. Chapter ten, comin' at you. This is a trophy moment for me. The tenth chapter of Pokemon: Best Wishes! So, there's gonna be a couple rapid chapters coming in the next two months. Maybe two. (Possibly three.) There's a certain place I want to get to before a certain time, and I hope you'll forgive me if they seem a little hurried. The reason I'm rushing is because I plan on giving all my faithful readers something to look forward to. So, September 22, make sure to tune in and read Chapter 12 (or 13).**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Rumble in the Garden**

* * *

"This is the Gym?" Masuku asked. The boys were standing outside a large purple building with huge windows. There was a path of stones leading to the entrance. The stones were different shades of green and brown, like camouflage.

The boys walked in and noticed a giant botanical garden. There was a path straight through the foliage. It led them into a central room in the center of the building. The place was lined with trees that looked like they were taken straight from Pinwheel Forest. Pikachu could see various Bug Pokemon hiding in the trees.

"Ah. It looks like I have challengers!" A voice called. They looked up in the biggest tree and saw a man feeding a Sewaddle. The man leapt down. He was tall, wearing a green sweater and pink and green striped pants. He had a red scarf around his neck, and a white butterfly belt buckle. His brown hair was expertly styled.

"I'm Burgh. Leader of Castelia City's Pokemon Gym!" He cried with a flourish. "And you are?" "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. This is my Pikachu." "Buki and Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil City."

"That's wonderful!" Burgh said with a smirk. "Am I right to assume you three are here to challenge me?" The boys nodded together. "Three full battles. Hmm…that will take awhile. I hope you all don't mind?" "Anything's fine. It all depends on how you want to do it." Buki said to the rather effeminate man.

"Ok then. If that's how you want it!" Burgh snapped his fingers, and the ground split wide open. A field rose into the empty space. It was a sandy rectangle, and it was perfectly level.

"Now, who goes first?" Buki stepped forward. "I'd like to test the waters." He turned to his companions. "I hope you don't mind?" "Not a problem. I'm gonna see how my egg is doing. It's been a couple weeks. It should be close to hatching." The two boys sat on a bench nearby and Ash pulled the egg from his backpack, along with a cloth towel.

"K Burgh. Give me your worst!" Buki declared. A referee appeared. "The battle between the Challenger, Buki Shiyousha, and Gym Leader Burgh will now begin!"

"I'll let you have the first move Burgh. This _is_ your Gym after all." Buki relented. "Very well then." Burgh said, pulling out a Pokeball. "Go Dwebble!" Masuku pulled out his Pokedex.

_Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom, to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rock easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth._

Dwebble waved its spear-like pincers at Buki menacingly, but it was hard to pull off, because the thing wasn't menacing at all. It was actually kinda cute. Buki reached deep into his obi to pull out a ball. "_Hm. A Bug/Rock type. I think any of my Pokemon would be a good choice here. But, I'll go with…_" He grabbed the right ball. "Go Excadrill!" The Subterrene Pokemon burst from his Pokeball and scraped his claws together. Dwebble didn't look so tough now. Buki actually felt sorry for the little guy.

"Battle: Begin!" "Dwebble! Use Dig!" The Rock Inn Pokemon leapt into the ground and began his trip around, trying to get into attack position. "Sorry little guy. That was a bad move." Buki apologized. "Earthquake!" Excadrill jumped up and landed in a low crouch, sending shockwaves through the ground. Dwebble flew out into the air and landed hard on the ground.

"No! My Dwebble!" Burgh cried. But the small Pokemon stood back up on shaky spindle legs. "Good! My Pokemon won't be defeated so easily! Dwebble! Use Rock Wrecker!" Dwebble put his claws together, forming a small rock outlined in red. The rock swelled till it was the size of the small Pokemon, and the outline faded. The Rock Inn Pokemon launched the rock at Excadrill.

"Excadrill! Dodge with Dig!" Excadrill jumped up again, and transformed into Drill Form and dove into the ground. The rock whizzed by the hole. "Now, attack with Metal Claw!" The Subterrene Pokemon drilled out of the ground, and crashed into Dwebble with its claws and head horn. Dwebble hit the floor of the Gym and little Xs crossed his eyes.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! Excadrill wins!" The referee declared. Burgh returned the Rock Inn Pokemon to his Pokeball. "You did marvelously Dwebble." He grabbed up another Pokeball. "Go Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm!" Burgh called.

Leavanny raised both of its arms into the air and its body became outlined in turquoise energy. Tons of glowing green leaves appeared around Leavanny's feet and floated around it, floating up until they reached its arms. The turquoise glow faded and Leavanny pointed its arms at Excadrill, firing the leaves at it. Before Buki could give his command, his Pokemon was lifted high into the air by the swirling leaves. The Grass Type move bit deeply into the Ground Type Pokemon. Leavanny dropped its arms and Excadrill fell to the ground, dazed.

"Solarbeam." Burgh commanded calmly. The leaf on Leavanny's head began to glow. The Nurturing Pokemon opened its mouth and an orb of solar energy appeared.

"Fire!" Burgh cried. The ball transformed into a beam that originated from Leavanny's mouth. The golden beam flew across the field at top speed and slammed into Excadrill as he tried to struggle to his feet. The Subterrene Pokemon was thrown off his feet and into the trees on the sides of the room.

"Excadrill is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" "Return Leavanny." Burgh said, bringing his most powerful Pokemon back into its Pokeball. He grabbed his third Pokeball and threw it with a cry. "Whirlipede! I choose you!"

Buki reached back into his obi. He replaced Excadrill's Pokeball and grabbed his next one. "Alright then. Go Sawk!" "Didn't anyone teach you Buki? Fighting Types have almost no effect on Bug Types!" Burgh laughed.

"Well, I've never been one to listen to people that tell my Pokemon they can't do something. Right Sawk?" The Karate Pokemon nodded vigorously. "So, are you ready Burgh, cause we're about to bring it to you! Rain Dance!" Sawk began moving in what seemed to be an Indian dance. Clouds formed and rain began to fall.

"_Now_ you can't try Solarbeam on us!" Buki declared. Burgh smirked. "Sunny Day!" Whirlipede formed a ball of energy between his spikes and launched it into the air. It exploded against the ceiling, causing the light to intensify.

"Now we _can_ use Solarbeam on you!" The Gym Leader laughed. "However, I think this is more apt. Use Steamroller!" Whirlipede jumped into the air and began to spin rapidly. Its spikes began glowing and it rolled across the ground at the Fighting Type.

"Sawk! Use Reversal!" Sawk let Whirlipede hit him. As the Bug Type was spinning, Sawk glowed and grabbed it by the edges of its armor. He picked the Curlipede Pokemon and threw it high into the air. When the still spinning Pokemon came back to earth, Sawk let it fall at full speed onto his rocky fist.

"Double Kick!" As Whirlipede fell from his fist Sawk brought a foot up, sending the Curlipede Pokemon airborne once more. Sawk leapt up, somersaulted, and dropped his foot on top of the armored Pokemon. Whirlipede hit the floor and sank into the soft earth. Sawk loomed over the cornered Pokemon.

"Whirlipede! Solarbeam!" With Sunny Day still in effect, the Bug Type formed the orb of energy between his spikes. The blast hit Sawk in the chest and he was thrown into the air. He hit the sand as well. He got back to his feet slowly.

"Whirlipede! Steamroller!" The Curlipede Pokemon began spinning again and the sand released his hold against him. He began the charge against the weakened Fighting Type.

"Looks like we may be out of options Sawk. Use Close Combat!" Sawk angled his leg on the ground and Whirlipede began to roll up it. Then Sawk drove his elbow onto the shell of the Bug Type. As Whirlipede moved back, Sawk made other solid hits. He moved fluidly, finally finishing off with a Rock Smash to the opponent's uncovered eye. The poor Bug Type cried out in pain and began to glow.

When the light of evolution died, Whirlipede was replaced with Scolipede. "Well! This is a marvelous turn of events! I must thank you Buki. You brought out my Whirlipede's true potential! However, he's still weak. I'll have to finish this with one beautiful combination!" Burgh declared. "Use Megahorn!" Scolipede's horns glowed silver and he rammed them into Sawk's midsection. He lifted the Karate Pokemon high over his head, over eight feet, and held him there.

"Now, poison him!" Burgh cried. Scolipede's small forearms thrust into Sawk, and he took on a light purple hue. "And finally: Venoshock!" The Megapede Pokemon's horns stopped glowing silver, only to glow purple and unleash a burst of poison that threw Sawk clear from the large Poison Type.

"Sawk is unable to battle! Scolipede wins!" The referee cried. Scolipede however, didn't look like a winner. He was breathing hard, on his last legs. Buki reached into his obi one last time. "Go, Dewott." He sighed. "Water Gun." The short burst of water knocked the already defeated Poison Type to the ground.

"Scolipede is unable to battle! Dewott wins!" "Thank you for having mercy for my Pokemon Buki. It breaks my heart every time I have to take my friends to a Pokemon Center." Burgh said with emotion in his voice.

"Uh. It's not a problem, right Dewott?" "Wott!" The otter-weasel saluted. Burgh grabbed his third and final Pokeball. "Go Leavanny!" The Nurturing Pokemon stood opposite the Discipline Pokemon and the battle got underway.

"Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm!" "Leavanny!" The glowing leaves razed the field, leaving Dewott time only to duck and weave. "Dewott! I've got an idea! We'll use their own power against them! Use Aqua Jet!" Dewott encased himself in water and rocketed toward the Nurturing Pokemon. The leaves got stuck to the water and the energy transferred to the Aqua Jet.

"Now _go_!" Buki cried. The otter-weasel corkscrewed and was set on a path straight at Leavanny. The Dual Type leapt high into the air in an attempt to dodge the glowing water full of leaves. Suddenly, the green glow brightened, and a blue X appeared over the end of the attack. Dappled gold light filtered through.

The Aqua Jet/Leaf Storm/Razor Shell picked up speed, and made a ninety degree turn, angling straight up underneath Leavanny. The attack hit heavily, and Dewott kept going, high into the air above the Grass Type. Leavanny fell to earth with the otter-weasel landing shortly after. Leavanny jumped back to its feet, weakened only slightly from the mostly Water Type move.

"Sunny Day!" Burgh called. However the dazzling light Leavanny emitted was nothing compared to the light that shone from behind Buki. "Oh my god! My egg is hatching!" Ash cried. Just as Burgh called his attack, both Buki and Dewott whirled to get a good look at the Baby Pokemon that had hatched. They lost focus for a moment and Dewott was hit in the back by the Solarbeam. He was thrown from the field, landing beside the bench.

"Damn it Ash!" Buki called. He went to see if his Pokemon was alright, but Dewott was already standing and heading back to the ring.

"I'm sorry." Burgh said sincerely. "I called my attack before you turned around." "It's alright. We got distracted. You good to go Dewott?" "Dew!"

"Good. Let's use Fury Cutter!" Dewott ran at Leavanny hunched over, with his arms at his sides. His shells began to glow silver. As Leavanny jumped, so did Dewott, and he scored his shells across the Grass Type's chest. The Bug Type move was super effective.

"Oh! Leavanny!" Burgh cried. His Pokemon stood back up. "I'm sure you know this Burgh, but Fury Cutter is a move that increases in power the more it's used. So keep going Dewott!"

The starter whirled and weaved like a warrior from Japan wielding battle fans. Every move he made caused Leavanny to move back, until the move was at full power. Finally, with an upwards slash from a shell, Leavanny arced back into the air and came to a crash on the sandy floor.

"Leavanny is unable to battle! Dewott wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Buki from Driftveil City!"

* * *

"That better be a _damn_ cute Pokemon Ash!" Buki swore as he left the field. When he saw the Pokemon curled up in Ash's lap his face fell. "Damn it. It is."

It was a grey fox Pokémon with red and black patches on its head and feet. Its ears were triangular with dark insides, and it had a large, whirled scruff of fur on its head, tipped with red. Its blue-green eyes had white pupils, and its eyelids were red. It had a red dot of fur on its forehead. There was a ruff of black fur around its neck, and its limbs were tipped with red. Its tail was bushy. It opened its mouth in a yawn and small fangs could be seen. Buki pulled out his Pokedex.

_Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. It disguises itself as people and other Pokémon. It protects itself from danger by keeping its own true form hidden._

"A Zorua, huh?" Buki bent down and ruffled the Pokemon's head. "You nearly cost me my match little guy." Zorua responded with a bite to the swordsman's hand.

"Son of a bitch!" He cried, rubbing his injured hand.

* * *

**Shortly After**

* * *

"So Masuku. Are you ready for your match?" Burgh asked. Masuku looked back to the bench. His brother was forced to stand while Zorua growled at him from the edge. His eyes were closed and a tic on his forehead pulsed.

"Hehe. I think so Burgh." Masuku answered, ignoring his brother's shout of: "It's not funny damn it!" After another short session of laughter, the younger Shiyousha pulled his first Pokeball from under his stomach band. Burgh pulled his ball out too.

"Go Dwebble/Timburr!" They cried together. The Rock Inn Pokemon burst free from his containment clicking his claws against the ground, while the Muscular Pokemon stood strong, spinning its wooden beam over its head.

"Begin!" "Dwebble! Use Rock Throw!" The Bug Type jumped and his shell flew from his back with great speed. "Bat it back!" Masuku cried. Timburr swung his beam hard, and a satisfying 'SMACK!' sent the rock shell back at its owner. Dwebble was knocked from the sky back to the sandy floor.

"Now, let's get on the offensive Timburr!" Masuku ordered. "Stone Edge!" Timburr held his beam out with both hands. Rock chips flew from the ground, sending the Rock Inn Pokemon airborne.

"Slash Dwebble!" Dwebble changed direction in the air and flew at Timburr. His claws lit up and he sliced his way past the Muscular Pokemon. Timburr flew back, but used his beam to vault back to his feet.

"Don't let up! Use X-Scissor!" Dwebble crossed his claws over him and launched an X shaped slash of energy. Timburr used his earlier maneuver to launch himself over the top of the attack.

"Timburr! Let's use Wake Up Slap!" Timburr landed in front of his adversary and repeatedly hit the Bug Type with his wooden weapon. Dwebble was forced back from the attack. Timburr kept attacking.

"Use Shell Smash!" Dwebble jumped out of its shell and its whole body glowed white. Crimson red cracks formed around its entire body. The white energy broke apart and fell off Dwebble's body like pieces of a shell. Dwebble's body glowed red.

"Now use Rock Wrecker!" The white pieces were mixed in with the rock chunks, making the entire attack glow. When it was launched it was much faster than the last time it was used. It crashed into Timburr and knocked him back. He struggled to his feet.

"We've gotta make this next attack count Timburr!" Masuku yelled. "Bulk Up!" Timburr took a deep breath and his muscles expanded. "Alright! Now that we've powered up, let's give 'em hell Timburr! Use Hammer Arm!"

Timburr jumped high into the air and came down holding his beam in the middle with both hands. He slammed the end of it down on the still shell-less Pokemon. When Timburr jumped back Dwebble was crushed into the soft sand with Xs in his eyes.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! Timburr wins!" Burgh brought the beaten Pokemon back. "I'm sorry Dwebble. We'll get them back for you, ok?"

"That was amazing Timburr! You did it!" Masuku exclaimed. "Yes. You _did_ do it. And you did it well. However, I believe it's time for me to win a match for my Dwebble." Burgh warned.

"Ok. If that's how it is. Timburr return!" Masuku commanded, pointing the Pokeball at it. The red beam shot out and Timburr went into the ball to rest. "I'll need a fresh Pokemon." He reached back under his stomach band.

"Let's do it Throh!" The Judo Pokemon bounced up and down on the soft ground, testing its limits. Burgh grabbed his next ball too. "Go Scolipede!"

"Begin!" "Let's use Rock Climb" Burgh called. Scolipede stomped the ground and a mountain rose up from the sandy turf with Throh on top. The ends of Scolipede's feet glowed silver and he began to run up the rock, gaining speed and power.

"Fine. Let's give 'em some leverage Throh! Use Superpower!" Throh's large rocky hands glowed blue and he thrust them out, grabbing Scolipede's horns. The two struggled for a few moments. Finally, Scolipede took another step forward, sending the both of them toppling over the edge, still grappling.

"Alright then! Let's turn this into a positive! Throh! Mountain Storm!" Throh spun around so that Scolipede was underneath him. He let go of the Megapede Pokemon and began to somersault head over head towards the ground. He crashed down onto Scolipede just as the Poison Type hit the ground.

"That was a good move." Burgh complimented. "However, this sandy ground means that move didn't give out much damage." Masuku looked to the two Pokemon and saw that Burgh was right. Scolipede looked no worse for wear.

"That's perfectly fine! Throh's not out of the game yet!" The red Pokemon nodded and took a fighting stance. "Let's use Overhead Throw!" Throh grabbed Scolipede and the two began to grapple again. After a short struggle Throh picked the Bug Type up, circled around, and threw him at his trainer. When he hit the ground he was sucked into his Pokeball and Leavanny was brought out.

"Betcha you didn't know that!" Masuku boasted. "Overhead Throw is a move that sends the opposing Pokemon packing! It ends wild battles, but it sends a trainer's next Pokemon!" While the two were still disoriented, Masuku made another command.

"Try out our Superpower! You didn't get a good enough taste last time!" Throh reached high into the air with both hands glowing. He clasped them together and ran at the Nurturing Pokemon. He brought his arms over his chest to the side, and ran by, slamming the powerful attack into the Grass Type.

"That was a strong move. However, as you're aware, Fighting Type moves have little effect on my Pokemon! Leavanny! Let's use String Shot!" The white stream of thread circled Throh in an attempt to keep him still.

"Break it!" Masuku ordered. Throh brought his arms up under the binding and crossed them over his chest. He thrust them out, ripping the attack to pieces. "Let's get back in this! Use Focus Energy!" Throh glowed white.

"We won't give you the chance to power up! Leavanny! Use Hyper Beam!" The orange blast shot forward. "Reversal!" Masuku yelled. The white aura traveled from Throh's body to his hands. He stuck them out and spun around as the beam got close. The beam curved around him and went back at the shooter. The glow left Throh's hands and transferred to the attack. This left a white energy swirling around the orange Hyper Beam. It struck Leavanny and threw her back several feet.

"HA! Bet you weren't expecting THAT one! Throh! Let's keep it up! Use Body Slam!" The red Fighting Type jumped high into the air and came crashing down on top of the Grass Type that was still laying on the ground.

"Use Protect Leavanny!" Burgh urged. As Throh neared a dome of green energy sprang up between them. Throh was thrown, and he hit the ground hard, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Let's attack now Leavanny!" Burgh ordered. Leavanny got back to her feet. "Leaf Blade!" Leavanny's leafy hands glowed bright green and she ran forward. Throh came out of the cloud with a Superpower attack that Masuku hadn't called for. Leavanny moved right past the Judo Pokemon's glowing arms and began its brutal dance of slashing.

When she leapt back, Throh staggered but stood steady. "You'll have to do a little better than that to get rid of us! Right Throh!" The tired Pokemon nodded before it fell forward into the sand.

"Throh is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" The referee called. "You were saying?" Burgh asked Masuku. The young boy returned his Pokemon to its ball.

"Don't listen to anything anyone says to you. You won this battle for me. You weakened his best Pokemon." The boy said with a smile.

"I'm proud to see a challenger that takes loss so well." Burgh complimented. "It's not a loss. Your Leavanny took a powered up Hyper Beam, as well as some of Throh's strongest moves. And, I've still got Timburr. Also, my last Pokemon's still at full power."

Masuku reached into his stomach band for the third time. "Let's go Timburr!" The Muscular Pokemon slung his beam over his shoulder, ready to go.

"Leavanny vs. Timburr! Begin!" "Timburr let's start this match off! Get ready for Focus Punch!" Timburr dropped his beam beside him and crouched down. He put a fist on the ground and charged his energy into it. It began to glow silver.

"I think not! Use Leaf Blade!" Burgh commanded. Leavanny charged again, swinging her leaves. She had just gotten to the Muscular Pokemon and was making an overhead slash. "Now! Focus Punch!" Masuku cried. Timburr jumped up and slugged Leavanny with everything it had in its small body. Leavanny staggered back, but stayed close.

"Hyper Beam!" The orange beam washed over the small Fighting Type at close range, and Timburr never had a chance.

"Timburr is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" "You did good Timburr. You know we'll get back at them for you." For the last time Masuku reached down into his stomach band.

"You might be surprised." He threw the Pokeball and it opened high into the air. A ball of flames rushed the ground, hitting with an explosion. Pignite leapt out of the crater he left behind.

"Hehe. You sure know how to make an entrance buddy." Masuku complimented his partner. "Meet my first Pokemon. Pignite. He's gonna win this for me!"

"Leavanny return!" Burgh commanded. "Go Scolipede!" The purple Poison Type stood opposite the fire pig.

"Begin!" "Scolipede! Use Toxic!" Scolipede stomped the ground and a purple circle glowed around Pignite. He took on a purple hue for a moment. Masuku growled.

"This just means we'll have to end this fast. Use Flame Charge!" Masuku yelled. Pignite glowed orange for a second and burst into flames. He ran forward and tried to thrust his shoulder into Scolipede.

"Use Venoshock!" The purple beam knocked Pignite away and the flames died. The Fire Pig Pokemon glowed purple again as the poison sapped his strength. "We've gotta get rid of Scolipede! Use Heat Crash!" Masuku called, deciding to go with Pignite's special move.

Pignite crouched down and launched himself high into the air. He somersaulted and caught ablaze again. He dropped like a boulder from the sky and hit the Megapede Pokemon. Scolipede was forced down to the ground and into a crater. He leapt back to Masuku's side of the field.

Scolipede crawled out of the hole in the ground panting. "Use Venoshock!" Burgh called to his tired Pokemon. The purple attack hit again and Pignite really began to feel the poison's effects on his body.

"We've got to end this now! Brother has a combination, why can't we? Use Ember on your hands!" Pignite sent a confused look his trainer's way, but obeyed. The flames crackled to life. "Now! Let's give 'em _Arm Thrust_!" Pignite ran forward at the Megapede Pokemon.

"Take him out! Venoshock!" The purple beam was loosed again, but Pignite leapt over it. He came down in the first attack on Scolipede's head. He jumped off Scolipede and landed in front of him. He kept attacking, and with the last attack he put his hands together and thrust them both into Scolipede's unarmored belly.

"And it's _over_!" Masuku cried as Scolipede toppled like a fallen tree.

"Scolipede is unable to battle! Pignite wins!" "And now it's time for the battle to end!" Masuku declared. "I agree." Burgh said. "Go Leavanny!"

"Final battle! Leavanny vs. Pignite! _Begin!_" "Pignite! We won't last much longer, so we've gotta get in there! Use Fire Thrust!" Masuku ordered. Pignite opened his hands and this time the flames burst into being on their own. "GO!"

The Fire Pig Pokemon charged again, attempting to end the battle there. "We won't _let you!_ Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm!" The glowing leaves flowed around Leavanny and shot like arrows toward the charging Fire Type.

"It's _over_!" Burgh yelled. "It's not over till Pignite _falls!_" Masuku roared as his Pokemon batted the leaves away with his fire covered hands. His eyes glowed and flames roared across his body.

"_Now! With the power of Blaze! Finish him off!_" "Leavanny! Hyper Beam!" But the orange attack shot right over the Fire Pig's shoulder, and Leavanny was unable to move. Pignite slammed both palms into Leavanny and she was thrown back off the field. Pignite put both palms into the air and roared as the flames built up into the sky in a defiant show of his power.

"And it's ended! Leavanny is unable to battle! Pignite wins and the victory goes to Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil City!" Masuku ran out onto the field and hauled Pignite into his arms.

"You did it!" He yelled. The two of them jumped up and down, shooting victory poses like they were attacks.

* * *

"Um. Masuku, maybe _you_ better hold Zorua for me." Ash said as he handed the cute Dark Pokemon to the Fighting Type trainer. The small Pokemon was still glaring at Buki, who still had no idea what the problem was.

"Ugh. One last battle my friends." Burgh promised. "Go Scolipede!" The Megapede Pokemon looked annoyed to be brought out for another battle so soon, but he nodded to his trainer.

"Let's go Pikachu!" "Pika-Pika!" The small Electric Type answered the call with a small discharge of sparks.

"The battle between the Challenger Ash and the Leader Burgh will now begin!" "Scolipede! Use Double Edge!" Burgh ordered immediately. Scolipede ran forward, leaving a gold glow behind him.

"Dodge it Pikachu!" The Mouse Pokemon dove to the side. "Use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu lit up the area as the lightning flew from his tiny body. Scolipede contorted into poses of pain as the Electric attack racked his body with spasms.

"Oh no! Scolipede! Are you alright!" The Megapede Pokemon shook off the shock. "Alright! That's the way to do it! Let's use Agility!" Scolipede flashed back and forth around the field, level with Pikachu in speed.

"Now! Toxic!" The purple circle appeared around Pikachu but he jumped away before the poison would take effect. "Pikachu! Use Electro Ball!" Pikachu unleashed some electricity that took the form of a yellow orb above his tail. He flicked his tail and the attack flew across the field.

"Dodge!" Burgh commanded. "Ha! Now that Scolipede's at the same speed as Pikachu, you won't hit him with long range attacks!" Ash contemplated. "I guess you're right Burgh! Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" The powerful Electric Type began running forward and electricity burst out across his form.

"Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika, _Pikachu!_" The resulting explosion sent Scolipede back, and Pikachu into the air.

"Now! Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. From high in the air Pikachu could unleash an attack that could go in every direction. And that's exactly what he did. Scolipede was blasted without getting the chance to dodge.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail began to glow. "Electro Ball!" The orb was absorbed by the Iron Tail and Pikachu dropped from out of the air, slamming the powered up attack into Scolipede as it tried to get up.

"Scolipede is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" The referee called out. Burgh returned his beaten Pokemon to his Pokeball and pulled out his next one. He sighed. "I'm so sorry Scolipede. At least you get to rest now." The threw the next ball. "Go Dwebble!"

"Come back Pikachu." Ash ordered. He plucked a ball from his belt. "Go Primeape!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon began to shuffle from foot to foot, itching to battle.

"A Pikachu _and_ a Primeape? That's interesting." Burgh said. "Next Match: Dwebble vs. Primeape. Begin!" "Primeape! Use Thrash!" Primeape stomped the ground a few times before charging at the smaller Pokemon.

"Haha! I know my Dwebble's faster than a Primeape! Use Smack Down!" Dwebble waved his claws and a rock flew out of the ground. It hit Primeape in the face and knocked it back.

"Now we'll use Faint Attack!" Dwebble scuttled up to Primeape and pointed off to the Pig Monkey Pokemon's right with a claw. Primeape turned and Dwebble sucker punched the slightly dim Pokemon.

"Rock Smash!" Primeape whirled around after being attacked and slugged the Bug Type just as it was turning away. His shell cracked and began falling off in pieces. The Rock Inn Pokemon's eyes welled up and tears began streaming from both eyes.

"Oh no! Dwebble!" Burgh cried. He ran out on the field an comforted his bereaved Pokemon. "I'm sorry Burgh! I didn't know he was turning away!" Ash apologized profusely. "It's ok. But I don't think I want to put my Dwebble through anymore. Call it." He said to the referee.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! Primeape wins!" "Grr. I _refuse_ to lose again! Leavanny! I choose you!" Burgh cried.

"I'll stick with you Primeape!" Ash decided. "Alright then! The battle between Primeape and Leavanny will now begin!"

"Leavanny! Let's use Leaf Blade!" Burgh called out with new confidence. Leavanny's leaf-hands glowed bright green again and she charged at the Pig Monkey Pokemon, energized by her trainer's excitement.

"Primeape! Do you trust me?" Ash yelled. Primeape nodded vigorously. "Let's use Final Gambit!" Primeape ducked under the glowing appendages and grabbed Leavanny. He began to glow orange, and the two Pokemon were absorbed by a large orb. When the light died, Primeape was lying on the ground, and Leavanny kneeled on the ground, panting.

"Primeape is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" "Primeape, return!" Ash called. "You did good. I'm sure we can win now." The trainer vowed. He grabbed his next Pokeball. "Go Pidove!"

"And now Leavanny vs. Pidove! Begin!" "Pidove! Use Air Slash!" The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon flapped its wings rapidly and sent out a bunch of glowing, spinning buzz-saws.

"Dodge Leavanny, and use Razor Leaf!" "Leavanny!" Leaves swirled around the Grass Type and flew quickly at the Flying Type Pokemon. "Dodge!" Ash called.

Pidove swept through the air, dodging group after group of leaves. "Your Pidove is very fast." Burgh complimented. "However, it won't matter. Leavanny! Use Attract!" Leavanny gave a wink and pink hearts burst out all over the field. A bunch of them formed a ring and circled Pidove. When the circle closed however, Pidove remained in control.

"That means Pidove's a girl!" Buki called from the sidelines. Ash looked back at him. He was sitting on the very edge of the bench, with Zorua trying to get out of Masuku's grip.

"Ok then. Pidove! Let's try our Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded. Pidove disappeared from view for a moment. She reappeared high up in the sky, dropping toward the ground in a nose-dive. She pulled up and a burst of silver energy spread out in front of it.

"Leaf Blade!" Burgh called. As Pidove got close, Leavanny slashed multiple times before Pidove could get out of the way. She flew past the Nurturing Pokemon and fell to the sandy floor.

"Pidove is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" "Good job Leavanny. Now we just have to beat Pikachu." Burgh said. "Are you ready Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pika-Pika!"

"Alright! Final battle! Leavanny vs. Pikachu! Begin!" "Leavanny! Use Razor Leaf!" The swirling attack shot across the field with incredible accuracy and power. Pikachu was in the middle of the attack. "Pika!" "Pikachu! Blast those leaves away with Thunderbolt!"

The Electric Attack blew the leaves away from Pikachu, leaving them charred. "Now! Let's use Quick Attack!" Pikachu began to run, leaving the familiar streak behind him. He made evasive maneuvers as Leavanny launched more leaves at him. Finally Pikachu leapt up and hit Leavanny in the chest. She fell back slightly.

"Leavanny! Try another Attract!" The pink hearts hit Pikachu and his eyes lit up. He staggered around like a fool for a few seconds before just swaying in place.

"Damn! Pikachu, snap out of it!" Ash cried. "Leavanny! Use Leaf Blade!" Leavanny got in close an began her attack. Without really knowing what was happening, Pikachu was managing to dodge with his staggering and swaying. All of the slashes seemingly missed by centimeters.

"Pikachu! You've gotta attack them! Use Electro Ball!" Pikachu shook his head a little, but the pink hearts didn't leave his eyes.

"Use Leaf Storm!" The swirling leaves picked Pikachu up and spun him around inside a gigantic leaf whirlwind. (Rock Lee reference FTW) The leaves disappeared and Pikachu fell to the ground.

"Pikachu! You've gotta get up!" Ash cried. The Mouse Pokemon, over his Attract, struggled to his feet and gave Ash a tiny thumbs up.

"Leavanny! Let's finish this up! Use Leaf Blade!" Leavanny moved in again. "Pikachu! Spin and use Thunder Punch!" Pikachu jumped up and twirled in the air. He soared between Leavanny's slashing arms. His small fist crackled to life with electricity and he thrust the powered up attack up into Leavanny's jaw. The Nurturing Pokemon fell back but was on her feet in a second.

"Pikachu! Fall back!" Ash called. The Mouse Pokemon shuffled back in a series of small hops on his stubby appendages. "Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm once more!" Pikachu was once again lifted high into the air by the Grass Type move. The leaves died away and Pikachu began to fall again.

"Volt Tackle! Then Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail lit up and he began to fall faster as electricity burst out across his body for the second time that day.

"Hyper Beam!" Leavanny fired the orange beam at the falling Electric Type. Pikachu whirled early and his powered up tail took the attack. He kept going, like the power didn't even effect him. He crashed down on Burgh's strongest Pokemon and the dust cloud hid everything from view. Pikachu leapt from the smoke, but Leavanny didn't.

"And it looks like Leavanny is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! The victory goes to Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Well, I've got to say I'm a little disappointed in myself for losing three times, but I'm an honest man. Here you go you three. It's the Insect Badge!" Burgh handed all three of them a light green Badge in the shape of insect wings. It was lined with gold.

"Woohoo! We just got…the Insect Badge!" Ash cried. "….Yeah. That's never gonna catch on." Buki said.

* * *

The boys were walking to Castelia City's exit when a familiar drum beat started up. _"I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was! To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause!"_ Buki pushed his sleeve back and pressed a button on his watch, which was actually his X-Transceiver. A picture of a blonde girl with a green hat appeared.

"_Hey Buki." _"Howdy Bianca. What's up?" She looked distraught. _"Well, I'm off on my own for a little while, and I thought we could meet up. Where are you?" _"Uh, we're about to leave Castelia City." _"Do you think you could wait till tomorrow to leave? I'll be there later tonight."_ "Uh….sure."

* * *

**And I think that's a good place to end the chapter. I've decided that I'm gonna take the Black and White game storyline and augment it for this fic. So, next chapter, we'll see how Buki knows Bianca and various **_**other**_** characters that'll be appearing in the next couple chapters. If that last part confused any of you, well, it'll all be explained next chapter. So, drop a review, tell my what you thought. Ja Nae.**


	11. Of Sand and Crocodiles

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Whoo buddy! I can't believe I'm to chapter 11! This is fantastic! To all those who've stayed with me till now, thank you, and I hope you stay with me till the end. Now, last chapter the boys got their Insect Badge from Burgh, and Buki got a call from an old friend named Bianca. So, the boys have been waiting for a few hours for her to arrive in Castelia City. The current time is 10:37 p.m., as a continuation of 'Rumble in the Garden.' Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Of Sand and Crocodiles**

* * *

"There she is." Buki said. It was dark but he could still make out the darker silhouette in the sky. The Unfezant landed silently and the blonde girl slid off its back. It didn't have the pink crest, so it was female.

"Return." Bianca said. The Flying Type went back into her Pokeball. The girl turned to the three travelers. Her stoic silence was broken when she leapt at Buki and trapped him in a hug.

"Hi Buki!" She yelled in his ear. "It's been a long time, Bianca." He smiled down at her, but she didn't notice. Bianca pulled back to look him over in the lights outside the Pokemon Center.

"What happened to your other kimono?" She asked. "Long story. So, what did you want to meet us here so badly for?" Bianca looked to Ash and Masuku. "It's not too important right now. Hello, Masuku."

"Hey, Bianca! Check it out!" He pulled out his Badge case and his three Badges caught the light. "That's cool. Does you brother have that many too?" He nodded. Bianca turned to Ash.

"Oh. This is Ash. He's from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. This is his Pikachu!" Masuku exclaimed. Bianca picked up the small Electric Type and began to pinch his electric sacs.

"I wouldn't do that-" Ash began. However Pikachu let off his large burst of electricity before the warning could take effect. The blonde girl fell to the ground, slightly singed, still holding the Mouse Pokemon, who looked embarrassed.

"Are you ok?" Buki asked. "I think it might be a good time to talk now." Bianca said as she picked herself up. She handed Pikachu back to his trainer.

"Uh…ok. Guys, head back into the Center and get us a room with four beds. We'll head out tomorrow." The two boys nodded in assent and walked back into the Pokemon Center.

"Let's take a walk." The swordsman suggested.

* * *

They walked in silence for some time before they realized they'd made their way into a park. They sat down on a bench and listened to the Bug Pokemon chirp for a while before Buki spoke up.

"So, how's Cheren?." Buki asked. Bianca's face turned blue and she curled up on the ground. The depression was palpable. And kinda funny. Buki thought back, and wondered what could've been wrong with his old friend. "What wrong with Cheren?" He asked as he picked her up and put her back on the bench.

"I'm really worried about him. He's gone after the Champion again." Buki narrowed his eyes in thought. His friend had been chasing after the Champion for some time. Buki had never met the man, and didn't understand his friend's obsession.

"That's pretty normal for him. I wouldn't worry." Buki soothed. "It's not just that." Bianca began. "He told me to leave him alone. He said he didn't have time for me anymore, and that he had to focus on finding the Champion!" Bianca teared up. Buki felt himself stiffen.

Bianca and Cheren had become a couple, at Bianca's urging, shortly before the three of them went on their journey. The last he'd heard, things had been going well. He couldn't believe the darker boy would say such a thing to the girl he'd spent the last five years of his life with.

"I'm sure you just misunderstood." Buki said. He felt he needed to comfort his friend. He'd been trying to impress her for as long as she'd been trying to get Cheren's attention.

"No. He's become a completely different person recently. I haven't been able to find him anywhere! He said to find you, and tell you he'd be waiting for you at the Pokemon League. You've got to do something!" She reached over and buried her face into Buki's shoulder, wetting his kimono.

"Bianca, you know Cheren. He won't listen to anybody. I don't even know where he'd be." Buki told her. "Listen. We're heading to Nimbasa City tomorrow. I'll see if I can find any signs he's been around." He promised.

"I'm staying with you." She vowed. Buki felt the familiar twinge in his stomach. "Alright." He relented.

* * *

"Ok guys. Bianca's gonna be traveling with up to Nimbasa City." Buki said the next day as the four of them exited the Pokemon Center. They walked to the City's exit and walked out onto the next Route.

"Damn!" Masuku cried as the party was buffeted by a huge sandstorm. He shielded his eyes and looked ahead. "Brother! Look!" Buki looked where Masuku indicated and saw a small Scraggy laying in the middle of the road.

"Masuku! No!" Buki yelled as his brother ran toward the Scraggy. "Are you ok?" The boy asked. Scraggy looked up weakly, and stood to his feet. He crashed his skull into Masuku's and the boy toppled back.

"I warned you. That's Scraggy's Headbutt." Buki said. The small Pokemon was covered in scratches and was really weak, but was still determined to keep fighting.

"Here Masuku. Use this." Bianca handed Masuku a pink Pokeball with white hearts on it. "The hell is this? I'm not using this!" He cried. "Moron. That's a Heal Ball." Buki explained. "They're rare, and they heal a Pokemon that gets captured with it."

"Oh." Masuku took the ball and got ready to capture the Scraggy. "Get in the ball. It'll help you." The boy told the Pokemon. Scraggy crossed his arms over his small chest and shook his head.

"Stubborn little sucker!" Masuku declared. "Remind you of anyone?" Buki asked. "No. Who?" Buki sweat dropped. "Just throw the damn ball." Instead Masuku took out another Pokeball.

"I think this is a pride thing. He won't let me capture him without a fight. Even if it's to heal him. You ready Pignite?" He threw his Pokeball. "_Go_!" Pignite burst from his Pokeball flexing his muscles, and basically just showing off.

"Let's fight, Scraggy!" Masuku challenged. Scraggy smirked. He ran forward and tried slamming his rock-hard head into Pignite.

"Pignite! Stop him! Use Arm Thrust!" Pignite's right arm shot out and he caught the small Pokemon before he could get close. Pignite swung his left arm around and smacked Scraggy away from him. He yawned.

"Scraggy!" The small Pokemon cried loudly. A purple wave of energy flew from his body and washed over Pignite, throwing him back. "Damn! Even after already being so weak, it's like that attack did nothing! And it's super effective against his typing!"

"Typing isn't everything little brother. Just look at Pignite." The Fire Pig Pokemon was hunched over, panting. "See, that move was Payback. If it hits after the opponent attacks the move's power doubles."

"Fine. Let's go Pignite! Use Heat Crash!" Pignite leapt up and flames crackled across his body. Scraggy smirked again and stomped his feet on the ground. A rock pillar shot out from under the sand and struck Pignite in the air, stopping his attack. Scraggy ran up the rock and slugged Pignite over the side.

"Jeez! I thought this thing was weak!" Masuku yelled. "Get up Pignite! Let's take him out!" But before he got the chance to give another command, Scraggy toppled off his rock and hit the sand.

"Wow. That was weird." Masuku said. "I think Scraggy must have the ability Moxie. It boosts attack whenever it beats another Pokemon. That must be what kept him fighting so long. I'd imagine the power boost wore off." Buki explained.

"Whatever. Heal Ball! _Go_!" Masuku cried. The Shedding Pokemon was pulled into the Pokeball and a burst of blue sparks signified his capture.

"Woohoo! I just caught Scraggy!" Masuku called, striking Ash's victory pose. "Damn it Masuku, I told you to quit doing that!" Buki yelled. Bianca and Ash stood behind the swordsman giggling silently.

"I just wonder what Scraggy fought to get beat up like that." Masuku said. As if on cue, Ash noticed a pair of beady black eyes staring at him. He screamed.

"What? Oh. It's just a Sandile." Buki said. "They're cute." The Sandile fully emerged from the sand and shook it from his small brown body.

"It's a crocodile!" Ash cried. The Sandile's upper lip stretched up on one side, showing a fang in a grin. He reached back into the sand and pulled out a pair of red rimmed sunglasses with blue lenses. Everyone sweat dropped as Sandile put the glasses over his face.

"What's up with this Sandile?" Bianca asked. "I think it's trying to say it's the one that fought Scraggy." Buki said. Sandile shook his head and pointed behind him. Two other Sandile lay half buried in the sand.

"Damn. Little guy's a fighter." Buki remarked. He pulled out a Pokeball. "So, we have to fight to get through? How about taking me on?" The Sandile shook his head again and pointed his snout at Pikachu.

"You want to battle Pikachu? There's no use in battling when you know you'll lose." Bianca said. "No, Pikachu _will_ surprise you. Let him battle." Buki said.

"Alright Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Buki face-palmed. "Damn it. At least _act_ like you know what you're doing!" He cried as the bolt of electricity arced and crashed onto the Ground Type. Sandile shuddered, but the attack did little damage.

"Hmm…If that won't work…use Electro Ball!" "_Damn_ it Ash!" The ball shot right past Sandile. He cocked his head and grinned again. He opened his mouth wide and multiple blue energy spheres shot from it. They burst all around Pikachu's feet, turning to mud. The Mouse Pokemon was stuck fast.

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle to escape!" Ash called out. Pikachu lit himself up and began to run. At first he made no progress, but the mud stretched away from him and he charged forward. Sandile launched another Mud Shot attack. With Pikachu drawing so close, it was impossible for him to dodge, and he was thrown away.

"Use Iron Tail!" Pikachu leapt high and spun over Sandile's head. He crashed his tail, now a solid bar of iron, down onto the Ground Type's head, pushing him deep into the sand. He began to dig deep.

"Watch out for that Dig!" Masuku cried. "It's super effective!" Pikachu looked around and began to listen. "Iron Tail!" He jumped straight up and Sandile burst from the ground under him. Pikachu whirled and slammed his tail into the Pokemon, knocking it back into it's hole. He stayed there.

"Yes! We did it Pikachu!" Ash cried with exuberance. "Ash. You're at a ten. We need you at about a seven." Buki told him.

* * *

"Is it time yet?" James asked. "Shut up! They'll hear you!" Jessie berated him. "… We're underground ya dumb broad." Meowth said. "Just power up the damn machine."

* * *

"Alright. Let's get out of this friggin' desert." Masuku said. He took off walking. "Uh…brother? It's this way." Buki pointed. "…Right." The four humans walked across the sand. A Pokeball at Ash's belt popped open and Zorua jumped onto his trainer's head, knocking Pikachu to the ground.

"Pi." The Mouse Pokemon growled. "Just walk for a little while Pikachu." Ash tried to calm his partner. The ground began to shake and Zorua toppled from Ash's head. He glared and began to paw at the sand.

Two claws flew out of the ground and grabbed Pikachu and Zorua. They began to winch themselves backward, pulling the two Pokemon towards whatever was waiting for them.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" The Mouse Pokemon unleashed his attack, but it went no further than the end of the metal arm. The sparks fizzled out as they hit the ground. A small megaphone surfaced between the arms, which had stopped winding for the moment.

"If you attacked with a Thunderbolt…"

"Your power was useless!" James finished, annoying the four.

"Future! A white future reflects the color of evil!" Exclaimed the redhead.

"Universe! The hammer of justice in a black world!" cried the blue haired man, annoying our heroes to near tears.

"Our names will be remembered in this place!" Meowth vowed, striking a pose between his two foolish cohorts.

"Destroyer of Passion! Jessie!"

"Pure Heart of Darkness! James!"

"Infinite Intelligence! Meowth!"

"Come gather! Under the name of Team Rocket!" The three finished.

"Oh _damn_ it." Buki said, exasperated. He pulled out a Pokeball. Around him, Masuku and Ash did the same.

"Who're they?" Bianca asked. "Team Rocket. They steal Pokemon." Buki explained. Bianca looked outraged, and she pulled out a Pokeball as well.

"Let's go then!" Jessie cried from inside whatever machine they were piloting. "Go! Woobat! Galvantula! Medicham!" The inside part of the megaphone pulled back and the three Pokeballs flew out. The bat, the spider, and the Psychic Type Pokemon were ready to battle.

"Haha! Go Amoonguss! Maractus! Scrafty!" James' three Pokemon stood next to Jessie's, making a full team of fighters.

"Bianca. Hold back, and see how far we've progressed." Buki told the girl. The boys each pulled out another Pokeball and let them fly.

"Dewott! Excadrill!" "Pignite! Timburr!" "Primeape! Pidove!" The six faced off against Team Rocket's Pokemon.

"Medicham! Psychic!" Jessie cried. Instead of attacking our heroes' Pokemon however, the Psychic Type lifted Team Rocket's Pokemon into the air. The ground began to shake again as they used their machine's artificial Earthquake.

"Jessie! Remember! The machine can only take three Earthquakes before it's got to surface!" James whispered audibly, magnified by the megaphone.

"Thanks James!" Buki cried. "Guys. Return your Pokemon." He told them as he sent Dewott into his Pokeball. They looked skeptical, but did as they were told.

"Alright Team Rocket! Excadrill! Use Earthquake!" The Subterrene Pokemon jumped and crashed to the ground, sending ripples across the sand. It was increased when the Sandile shot from the ground and landed on all fours next to Excadrill. The three members of Team Rocket screamed as the machine was forced to surface, and the claws were shocked apart. Pikachu and Zorua ran back to Ash.

"I can't resist making this reference. Excadrill: Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me who believes in you! Team Rocket, _who the hell do you think we are?_ Drill Run!" Excadrill brought his arms up and they connected to the claw jutting over his face. He dove into the ground, and you could see him moving through.

Sandile glowed and rocks burst from the ground, circling around him in a Stone Edge attack. Team Rocket returned their Pokemon in preparation to run. Excadrill burst out of the ground and Sandile sent the rocks at their target. They circled around Excadrill's drill form and the super powered attack punched straight through the metal shell of their machine. The inside turned red and exploded, sending the three Rockets into the air.

"We're blasting off again!"

* * *

"Thanks a lot Sandile! We owe you one!" Ash called to the tiny crocodile as they walked away. The Ground Type's eyes glowed behind his sunglasses and he dove back into the ground, silently digging after the hat wearing trainer and his friends.

* * *

**A few hours of walking later**

* * *

"Alright guys. It's getting dark. Let's make camp here." Buki decided. "I'll start on something to eat." Ash and Masuku began setting up the two tents they had. The tent Buki slept in, and the tent Ash and Masuku shared.

"Um…I totally forgot to bring a tent!" Bianca laughed. "I didn't think I'd be with you guys this long." Buki sweat dropped. "Bianca, whatever happened to 'be prepared'?" The others began laughing and Buki couldn't help but join in.

"Hey Bianca. Buki's the only one that sleeps in his tent. You could room with him tonight." Masuku offered. Buki choked on his laughter and sent an unnoticed glare his brother's way. Everyone kept laughing.

"Alright, alright. Shut up you guys." Buki turned to Bianca. "You can sleep in my tent."

* * *

**The next morning**

* * *

After the initial awkwardness of the sleeping arrangements, the night passed smoothly, and they four of them walked onward till noon. By then, they were at the entrance to Nimbasa City. The walkway leading into the city was surrounded by fountains on both sides, and they could see the amusement park in the right half of the city.

They walked up the steps and were met by an older man confronted by two members of Team Plasma.

"We know you run the daycare back in Nacrene City. We bet you've got a bunch of rare Pokemon. You're gonna give them to us." The old man caught sight of the team of four and called out.

"Can you trainers please help me?" Both Plasmas gave a 'do not interfere' glare to our heroes. All four trainers pulled out a Pokeball, and the Plasmas pulled out two apiece in response.

"Go! Liepard and Yamask!" The first one cried. Liepard, the Cruel Pokemon, took the form of a purple and gold leopard, while Yamask, the Spirit Pokemon, was a black ghost type with a huge red eye and a gold mask floating under it.

"I choose you! Boldore and Trubbish!" Boldore was a blue rocky Pokemon with orange crystals embedded in it. Trubbish was a green trash bag with big eyes.

"Fine then! Dewott!" "Primeape!" "Pignite!" "Pignite!" The only difference between the two Pignites was that Bianca's had a blue ribbon tied around his tail.

"That's pretty funny." Masuku commented. "Brother, you fight with Ash. I want to see if Bianca and I still have our teamwork together." Buki said.

"Please! You'll never beat us!" The grunts cried.

* * *

"I can't believe they beat us!" "Shut up! We'll hide in the amusement park!" The two grunts ran into the part of the city that it would be hardest to find them in.

"Thanks you youngin's. I don't know _what_ would've happened if you all hadn't come along. If you ever need someone to take care of a Pokemon for you, come to my daycare." The old man said as he departed.

"I'm gonna find those grunts." Buki declared as he took off for the amusement park. "Wait. We'll go too."

* * *

They ran past all the attractions until they reached the Ferris wheel. "This is the best place to spot them from." Ash said. They way was blocked by a boy with long green hair flowing from under a cap. He wore a white shirt and black pants. A Rubik's Cube hung from his belt. Buki recognized him from somewhere.

"Wait, weren't you in Accumula town?" Buki was sure. When the two brothers were trying to capture Sawk and Throh, he'd seen the boy in the city, but hadn't really noticed him. Just enough for him to stand out.

"Yes. I was. I've been measuring your skills through your journey." He gestured behind him. "Would you like to ride with me?"

* * *

Buki and the boy were alone in a car, heading to the top of the Ferris wheel. It creaked to a stop.

"First, I must tell you, my name is N and... I am the king of Team Plasma. Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokémon. I wonder how many Pokémon exist in this world." Buki reacted quickly, and pulled his sword. Then he remembered: It was broken.

"Now, now. Don't be so quick to anger. The universe protects us both for now. You, the seeker of Truth. Me, the seeker of Ideals. We'll see one day which of us is the true 'Master.'" The wheel stopped, and the two of them stepped off.

"_My lord!_" It was the grunts. They'd been hiding in the trees, and saw N with Buki. Ash and the others ran up to the two 'seekers' as the grunts ran out.

"There's no problem, my subjects. You're part of the people we brought in to help us save the Pokémon. So, you're under my protection, as well. Go, quickly, and let my battle cover your retreat. ...Now then Buki, do you follow my logic?" N asked.

"No! I don't understand! Why is it so important for you to separate people and Pokemon?" Instead of answering, N simply said, "So that's how it is... That's unfortunate."

He pulled out two Pokeballs and the grunts began to run. "Get them!" Ash cried. The three other trainers began to pursue, but N jumped in front of everyone. "Ah. Then... The future I envision... Perhaps I can't beat you here and now, but I'll battle you to buy time for these members of Team Plasma to get away! Go! Darumaka! Sigilyph!"

"Ash! Time for a team-up!" "Right! Pikachu!" "Dewott!" The two Pokemon pounded their fists together as their trainers did the same. "_Volt Aqua Jet!_"

Pikachu started to run as Dewott leapt up. Sparks and water encased the Pokemon together as Pikachu jumped onto Dewott's back in the water. The electricity turned the water green with sparks flickering through it. They collided with N's two Pokemon, and they were knocked unconscious. Pikachu and Dewott jumped back to their trainers.

"You're quite strong. But I have a future that I must change. And, for that future... I'll defeat the Champion and become unbeatable, unlike any other! I'll make all Trainers free their Pokémon! Just try and stop me! If you want to be together with Pokémon, your only hope is to collect the Badges from each area and head for the Pokémon League! Try and stop me there, if you dare! If your conviction is not strong enough, you will never be able to defeat me." N vowed. He turned and walked away.

* * *

**And there you have it. Our heroes have found out who their real enemy is. Or have they? Only time will tell. Ash, Buki, and Masuku now know their objective. They must obtain every Badge, or N could truly take over the world and separate Pokemon and man. Will our three heroes be able to defeat N in the end? Read on with me to find out. Next chapter we'll have the Gym Battle in Nimbasa City. Will this be the next step forward for the three? Or will it be a pitfall? You'll have to find out in Chapter Twelve: An Stunningly Electrifying Battle! Drop me a review. Flames only warm my house.**


	12. A Stunningly Electrifying Battle

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Last time our heroes faced their true foe. N, the king of Team Plasma. He's very dedicated to the cause Ghetsis has laid out for him and Team Plasma. He truly believes Pokemon would be better off separated from humans, and he's chosen Buki to challenge his Ideals against our hero's Truth! Will our swordsman live up to such expectation? He's responsible for saving the Pokemon world! Or is he? He's got his brother Masuku, and the aspiring Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum on his side. With them battling with him, is it in the cards for him to win? Read ahead to find out.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: A Stunningly Electrifying Battle!**

* * *

"_You're quite strong. But I have a future that I must change. And, for that future... I'll defeat the Champion and become unbeatable, unlike any other! I'll make all Trainers free their Pokémon! Just try and stop me! If you want to be together with Pokémon, your only hope is to collect the Badges from each area and head for the Pokémon League! Try and stop me there, if you dare! If your conviction is not strong enough, you will never be able to defeat me." _

N's words rang out in every available space in Buki's head. He wasn't sure if he was up to the challenge the green haired boy had laid out. He was having some major self-doubt, and Masuku was just the one to get him out of his funk.

"That's enough brother. Before we challenge the Nimbasa Gym, you have to battle me! I refuse to let you feel sorry for yourself!" "Calm down Masuku." "No! It's time for you to battle me brother!" He pulled out a Pokeball.

"Fine. How do you want to do this?" Buki asked. "Well, you only have _three _Pokemon, and I have four. So let's do a one on one battle. Ok?" Masuku offered. "Sounds good."

* * *

"Alright everyone! The one-on-one battle between Buki and Masuku will now begin!" Bianca yelled enthusiastically.

"Go! Dewott!" Buki called. "I choose you! Throh!" The Discipline Pokemon and the Judo Pokemon stared each other down as the battle began.

"Use Razor Shell!" Dewott pulled out his shells and they glowed. A blue blade of energy came from each one and he ran for Throh.

"Throh! Use Reversal!" Throh reached out and grabbed Dewott's arms. He bent his knees and threw him backwards over his head.

"Aqua Jet!" Dewott corkscrewed in midair and shot forward inside the bullet of water.

"Catch it with Superpower!" Throh glowed blue and punched his arms through the water, grabbing onto Dewott. He brought the Discipline Pokemon crashing down onto his knee and dropped him on the ground.

"Now! Mountain Storm!" The Judo Pokemon picked Dewott up, jumped high, and spun head over heels before throwing the Discipline Pokemon to the ground and crashing on top of him. The pavement of the street they fought on cracked slightly.

"Grr. Dewott! Stay long range! Hydro Pump!" The large burst of water drilled into Throh and he was thrown back. "Let's end this! Throh! Use Circle Throw!"

"I won't let you! Mirror Shot!" Dewott swing his shells wide and the green beam blasted Throh back again. "You should know better than anyone brother! Steel Type moves don't affect Fighting Types that well! Long range won't work forever either! You know we'll get close eventually! Stop being a coward!"

"You better cut it out Masuku!" Buki roared. "Then fight me like a Machamp, and not a Rattata!" Masuku taunted. "Fine! You want a Machamp? I'll give you a Machamp! Dewott! Use Aqua Jet!" The Discipline Pokemon rushed the Judo Pokemon. "And Razor Shell!" The otter-weasel's main combination attack bared down on Throh.

"Gotcha." Masuku said. "Revenge!" Throh was knocked over by the powerful attack, but he rolled up and knocked Dewott out of the water with a bone-jarring punch that laid him out flat. He started to get up, but Throh kept him down by placing a foot on his back.

Dewott began to glow and get bigger till Throh was thrown off him. "He's evolving!" Ash cried. "I don't believe it!" Masuku exclaimed.

"_Sam!_" The Pokemon roared. Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _Samurott. The Formidable Pokemon, and the final evolution of Oshawott. It can silence foes with a glare alone, and can dominate foes simply by howling._

Samurott reared up on his hind legs and pulled one of his two swords from its sheath. _When in battle, Samurott can stand on its hind legs and use one of its blades as a sword to fight._ The Dex spoke up.

"You still want to continue little brother?" "Of course!" "Very well then." Buki said. He looked to his oldest partner with admiration. "Let's go, Samurott!" The Formidable Pokemon roared once again and Throh looked a little shaken.

"Let's end this in one attack!" Buki decided. "Razor Shell!" The yellow blade glowed completely blue and Samurott slashed downward, sending a blade of blue energy streaking at the Judo Pokemon. He fell to the ground and a puddle formed under him.

"Throh is unable to battle! Samurott is the winner! The victory goes to Buki!" Bianca declared.

"So brother. Do you have your confidence back?" Masuku asked. "How could I not when my partner shows enough faith in me to evolve?"

* * *

The Gym was neon purple, with different shades of purple and blue neon strips on it. It wasn't hard to find. They walked in and there was a giant rollercoaster going around the Gym in fantastic spirals and loops. A few people in ridiculously stylish clothes walked to them and look them over.

"Which of you is here to challenge the Gym Leader?" The three boys raised their hands. "Hmm…" One of them pondered. He stroked his chin while looking at Ash. "You look fabulous. You can go ahead and ride the coaster." He let the hat-wearing boy pass.

The next looked Buki over. He pulled out some shears and snipped Buki's long ponytail. He then styled it into a topknot. "Now you look marvelous. You can go." He joined the line with Ash.

All three of the stylists looked down their noses at Masuku. He looked nervous. "No, no, no. You aren't stylish enough to challenge Elesa. You need a full makeover." They pulled him away and into another room, where he could be heard screaming.

"Oh! You're so tan! You'll look _hideous_ under the neon!"

When he walked out he was completely different. He was at least two shades lighter, only making the resemblance between him and his fairer-skinned brother even more pronounced. He wore a kimono shirt like his brother's, but red with gold-embroidered flames licking up the edges. His scruffy clothes had been replaced with black leather.

"Hehe. Look at you little brother!" Buki exclaimed. He was looking at Masuku's hair, which had been bleached from its normal brown to a vibrant blonde.

"Shut up. Why the hell did _you_ guys get passed?" "Maybe it's because we _bathe_?" Ash taunted, good naturedly. "Damn it Ash! _All_ twelve year olds hate bathing!"

"That's enough. Let's get on the damn coaster." Buki commanded.

* * *

After an insane ride on the roller coaster, the boys were standing in front of the Gym Leader. Elesa was a tall, thin girl. She had bright blue eyes, and blonde hair. She wore tights and a yellow sleeveless shirt with a black and white stripped one under it. She wore yellow high-heels and a large pair of headphones over her ears. The headphones had two black wires leading from them that ended in white plugs. She was incredibly pretty, and Masuku stared at her openly.

"Hello challengers. My name is Elesa. I am the Nimbasa City Gym Leader. Who will challenge me first?" She asked. Buki started forward, but Masuku cut him off.

"I…I will!" "Very well then. Since there are three of you, I propose a one-on-one battle. Does that suit you?" He nodded vigorously. "Wonderful." She said with a small smile. Small hearts danced in the wrestler's eyes. They went unnoticed by the Gym Leader, but Buki and Ash stifled snickers.

"I choose you! Emolga!" "Hmm…Alright. Let's do this! Pignite!" The Fire Pig Pokemon burst out of his Pokeball flexing and breathing small flames into the air. A referee stepped out of the shadows, the neon lights turning his white stripes purple.

"The one-on-one battle between Elesa and the challenger, Masuku Shiyousha, will now begin!"

"Emolga! Aerial Ace!" Emolga dove at Pignite and flapped its wings. Then it disappeared for a moment before crashing into Pignite. The starter Pokemon flew backwards.

"Pignite! Damn it! Masuku, pay _attention!_" Buki yelled from the sidelines. Masuku snapped around at his brother's voice, and saw his Pokemon laid out.

"Right! Pignite! Use Flame Charge!" Pignite stomped the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. He rushed from the cloud covered in flames.

"Ha. Dodge it Emolga!" Elesa cried. Emolga flapped higher into the air. "Alright then! Fine! Pignite! Go into Heat Crash!" Using the flames to propel him higher, Pignite came crashing down from the sky.

"You can't hit Emolga with an attack like that!" Emolga taunted Pignite by flying around him as he fell. "Arm Thrust!" Masuku called. Pignite swiped his arms out of the flames and knocked Emolga out of the air and to the ground. Flames licked its fur for a moment before they died down.

"_Now_!" Masuku yelled. Pignite continued the Heat Crash and slammed into the ground at high speed. However, his attack barely missed as Emolga threw itself from under the Fire Pig Pokemon at the last second.

"Emolga! Use Acrobatics!" Elesa called out, flipping the wires of her headphones over her shoulder. Masuku was so focused on the flipping that he failed to hear the command.

Emolga flew and dipped through the air, lulling Pignite by many amazing feats of flying, before she slammed into him and threw him to Masuku's feet.

"Pignite?" The trainer asked, coming out of his trance. "Pig." "I've been distracted, haven't I?" The Fire Pig Pokemon nodded. "Well, no more. Let's get 'em!" Pignite stood back up and his eyes focused once more on Emolga. His eyes began to glow and the muscles in his legs flexed.

"What's going on?" Ash asked. Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _Pignite's food converts into fuel for the flame that burns in its stomach. It can flare up the fire inside its body to make itself stronger and faster. When it is angered, its fire heats up._

"I see. When Pignite gets angry, he gets faster." Buki commented. "Go get her Masuku!" His brother nodded in understanding.

"Let's take 'em down Pignite! Fire Thrust!" Pignite held his arms out in front of him, palms up, and flames erupted across them. He ran forward, much faster than before.

"Emolga! Use Discharge!" Emolga's body became surrounded in yellow sparks and it fired multiple bolts of yellow electricity at Pignite. After the attack, its body became surrounded in yellow electricity for a second. The attack smashed into Pignite and he passed through it. He fell to one knee with sparks arcing out across his body.

"Now Emolga! Finish it! Aerial Ace!" Emolga charged in with the attack and Pignite stayed still. As the Sky Squirrel Pokemon moved closer, Pignite still didn't move.

"_Pignite!_" Masuku screamed. At his trainer's cry, Pignite clapped his flame colored hands together, sending the flames outward in all directions like a dome. Emolga flew straight through the flames and its burn flared up. Pignite caught it in its hands and smashed it into the ground.

Pignite jumped a few feet into the air and did a close range Heat Crash that Emolga couldn't avoid.

"Emolga is unable to battle! Pignite wins and the victory goes to Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil City!" The referee cried out. Bianca was already on her feet cheering, and the other two trainers jumped up as well, screaming out for the trainer and his Pokemon.

* * *

"I'm next." Buki declared. "Sounds good. Go! Zebstrika!" Elesa cried, throwing her Pokeball. "Fine then. Let's do this Excadrill!" Excadrill raised his claws up in the air and let them scrape ominously.

"The Gym Leader vs. the Challenger, begin!" "Let's end this quick, before they can use any tricks! Flame Charge!" Zebstrika pounded the ground with its hooves, throwing up smoke. The Thunderbolt Pokemon burst from the cloud glowing with flames.

"We've gotta take that thing out! Use Drill Run!" Excadrill clanged his arms together with his head and dove into the floor. In the middle of the room the two Pokemon met each other with Excadrill colliding with Zebstrika at an angle.

The two Pokemon shot past each other. Excadrill kept his angle and flew up into the air while Zebstrika galloped to the other end of the field and turned around, dashing back.

"Hit him as he comes down with Flame Charge!" Elesa ordered. As the Thunderbolt Pokemon ran flames burst out and crackled merrily as the Pokemon charged at the falling Excadrill.

"Sandstorm!" Buki called. Excadrill opened up and fired a blast of wind at the ground to cause the dirt on the battlefield to rise up. The wind pushed him up further, keeping him out of reach of the Flame Charge attack.

"Good job Excadrill! Now we've activated your Sand Rush!" "What's Sand Rush?" Elesa asked. "It increases a Pokemon's speed in a Sandstorm!" Buki declared. "Now! Let's give 'em hell! Focus Blast!" Excadrill put his claws together and formed the blue ball of energy between them. He brought his arms over his head and threw the ball in Zebstrika's direction.

"Use Double Kick!" Elesa cried. Zebstrika whirled around and kicked out with its back legs. The attack hit the Fighting Type move, causing it to explode. Zebstrika was knocked back, dazed.

"Earth Power!" Excadrill glowed gold and he slammed his claws into the ground. Shining cracks moved across the field under Zebstrika and a pillar of rock burst from the ground under the Thunderbolt Pokemon.

"Zebstrika!" The Pokemon tumbled off the pillar and began to fall toward the ground.

"Now! Get under it and use Slash!" The silver claws flashed bright enough to be seen through the sand. The grains of earth began to settle back to the ground, and Zebstrika could be seen struggling to its feet.

"Are you alright?" Elesa cried. With a nod from her Pokemon, she gave another command. "Then let's pull out the trump card! Use Overheat!" Zebstrika glowed red and fired a white beam of flames from its mouth. Dark orange flames spiraled around the white ones.

"Ok! Excadrill, dive into the flames with Drill Run!" Buki yelled. "Why would you command your Pokemon to do something like that? It's a _Steel_ Type!" Elesa cried. But Excadrill was already in Drill Form and was spinning through the burst of flames. When he got through, he glowed red and slammed into Zebstrika, knocking the Thunderbolt Pokemon to the ground.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Excadrill wins! The victory goes to Buki from Driftveil City!"

* * *

"Looks like it's our turn Pikachu!" Ash declared. Elesa nodded. "Very well then. I choose my other Emolga!" The Flying Squirrel Pokemon glided all around the field.

"Final battle! Ash Ketchum vs. Elesa! Begin!" "Emolga! Let's use Attract!" Emolga gave a wink and a swarm of pink hearts swirled around Pikachu. The hearts disappeared inside him and the Mouse Pokemon turned bright pink for a second. His black eyes turned into hearts.

"Damn it! Pikachu, are you alright?" "Pi…ka…chu?" The Electric Type stumbled a little. He started toward Emolga.

"Give them a taste of your Hidden Power!" Emolga's body became outlined in light green and she puts her hands together in front of her. Three green orbs of energy appeared in between Emolga's hands. She fired the orbs at Pikachu, who was unable to dodge.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. "Chuuuu?" Pikachu hopped back to his feet. His eyes were still unfocused.

"This is pathetic. Use Hurricane!" Emolga flew a breakneck speed around Pikachu, whipping up furious winds that lifted the Electric Mouse Pokemon high into the air. The tornado slung Pikachu around until he was thrown from it. The winds died down.

"Pika!" Ash's partner jumped back up, the hearts gone from his eyes. "You ok buddy?" "Pikachu!" "Alright then! Let's use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu ran forward with his signature attack.

"Emolga! Double Team, then Hidden Power!" Suddenly there were twelve Emolga's circling around Pikachu. The Electric Mouse Pokemon barreled right through one of them and each of the others fired three green spheres of energy. Pikachu dodged most of the attacks, but the barrage was too much, too fast.

"And that's the end." Elesa declared. But Pikachu stood up again. "You want more?" Pikachu nodded defiantly.

"Emolga, Hurricane!" The winds picked up again and Pikachu was hurled into the air. "_Pikachu! Use Thunder!_" The rodent unleashed a massive burst of electricity that was picked up by the winds and struck every Emolga. The winds split apart and became a soft breeze.

"W-What?" Elesa asked incredulously. Emolga stood weakly. "Are you alright?" "Emol, Emol." Elesa was dissatisfied. "Pikachu! Let's finish this! Use Volt Tackle!" "_No_! I give up! My Emolga is too tired to keep going!"

* * *

"Alright you four. You just need to keep going out of the city, and you'll come to the Driftveil Drawbridge. I'll meet you there, ok?" Elesa asked.

The boys nodded. They each looked down to their Bolt Badges Elesa had given them. They were proud of what their Pokemon had accomplished.

"Hear that Masuku? We're goin' home."

* * *

**Well, there it is. That's it for a while. The chapters weren't as rapid as I thought they'd be. I'm a little let down about the Pikachu vs. Emolga fight, but I couldn't think of anything better. So, next chapter, the boys go home, and we begin to understand our hero a little better. I'm gonna be updating some of my other fics. I'm planning a great Pokemon Crossover, and after this fic ends, I'm going to write a fic about the Champion's League. In my fic, each Champion and two members of their Elite Four are welcomed to the League, and any trainer that has participated in each of the five Leagues. If you have any OC trainers you want to see in THAT fic, leave them in a comment in THIS fic, including the Pokemon they'll battle with. That's all for now! Ja Nae! By the way, I'm sorry this chapter was so short. Next will be incredible. I promise.**


	13. Buki - A Backstory

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**In our last chapter the gang, plus Bianca, passed through the Nimbasa City Gym. Elesa told them to go to the drawbridge outside of her city. She said she'd meet them there so they could proceed into Buki and Masuku's hometown. What's going to await them in Driftveil? Read onward.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Buki - A Backstory That Leads to Cold Storage!**

* * *

"Wow." Ash marveled at the huge Driftveil Drawbridge. The red structure was currently drawn up, and they watched as a large cargo ship passed through.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" The four travelers turned to see Elesa walking up to them. "As I'm sure you know, Driftveil is famous for importing goods all over Unova. It's a very important city." She motioned to the bridge operator. "Lower the bridge!"

"You three watch out for Clay. He's powerful…and a little strange." Elesa warned. Buki and Masuku thought back to times they'd seen Clay. He was incredibly strange, but a good trainer.

The bridge had been lowered and the four began walking across. Buki couldn't help realizing that he was returning to the place his journey started.

* * *

_A young Buki was walking just outside of Driftveil City. He was nine years old, but his tenth birthday was tomorrow. September 22. He'd never been outside his hometown, and he took off to explore without telling anyone. He figured he needed some experience if he was going to travel all over the world._

_The young boy wore a mesh shirt with a dark grey v-neck over it, with a matching pair of training pants and black martial arts slippers. He had his wooden training sword slung over his back._

_He walked beside a river that ran through the forest outside the city. Every once and awhile he'd see Water Type Pokemon flitting under the surface of the water. He was so excited._

_He had just got to a shallow part of the river that had stepping stones that made a bridge to the other side. He was stopped by a powerful feeling, followed by a powerful sound._

"_!" Buki's eyes went blank and he began leaping across the stones in a daze. He was to the entrance to a huge cave when he was startled out of his reverie by a small voice calling out._

"_Axew!" A small Pokemon was tumbling from a cliff hanging over the cave's entrance. __Buki leapt forward and skidded across the ground, catching the small Pokemon in his grasp. "Are you ok?" The brown-haired boy asked the Pokemon. He looked at it closely._

"_You're an Axew!" He exclaimed. He'd heard that this Dragon Type Pokemon was pretty rare, and that the only place to find them was at Mistralton Cave. He'd heard it was an extremely dangerous place, and because of his spacing out, he believed it._

* * *

_He'd had to go back home, but he told the Axew that they'd meet again someday. He had hoped it was true himself. He had just made it into town when he saw Cheren running towards him. He was a little shorter than Buki, with black hair that had one strand perpetually sticking up. He wore glasses over his onyx eyes. He wore a white shirt with a red stripe down the center under a blue jacket with a large white collar. He also wore black skinny jeans._

"_Buki!" The boy skidded to a stop in front of his sword-toting friend. "What's wrong?" "It's Bianca!" Cheren answered._

"_She was playing down by the market and that guy on the bike, Charles was there! He grabbed her!"_

_Now, Charles was 15. He was a year away from getting his license, and he thought he was going to join a biker gang. So, he was getting a head start on being a delinquent._

_The boys ran to the market in the middle of the city. Charles hung out behind the market just inside the forest. The boy straddled a racing bike and had Bianca trapped in his arms. His back was to them._

"_I've got this." Buki told the smaller boy quietly. The malice in his voice was evident as he brought his training sword up in a kendo stance. He charged silently, the only sound was the grass swishing as his feet hovered across the ground._

"_Gyaaaaaaaa!" Buki yelled, swinging his sword hard. It crashed against Charles' head so hard it cracked. Charles dropped the blond girl and got off his bike._

"_That hurt, you little bastard." He growled. "Get away from her!" Buki hissed. Charles drew back and smashed his fist into the young Buki's gut. Our hero fell to his knees._

"_Now, stay there." Charles commanded. He turned to Cheren. "What are _you_ gonna do?" Cheren stood still. Charles turned back toward Bianca, only to be met by the point of Buki's training sword._

"_You punch pretty hard. Too bad my sword's harder!" He swung it back like a baseball bat, and then hit a grand slam. His sword broke in half down the middle and Charles hit the ground, out cold._

_The two boys ran to their friend. "Bianca! Are you alright?" Buki asked. He helped her to her feet and she jumped into Cheren's arms._

"_Oh Cheren! You did it! You found Buki for me! You _saved_ me!" She exclaimed. She never noticed Buki's head dip._

* * *

"_Happy birthday, brother!" A voice called out, followed by a vigorous shaking, which Buki knew to be his brother bouncing on his bed._

"_Shut up Masuku." Buki said. He pulled his pillow out from under him and pelted the eight year old. "But Buki!" Masuku whined. "Professor Juniper sent you a package!" Buki leapt out of bed. Two new kimono had been laid out for him, along with a box wrapped with black paper printed with green leaves, blue bubbles, and red flames._

_Buki pulled his new blue casual kimono on over his training clothes. Then he strapped his X-Transceiver onto his wrist and dialed Bianca and Cheren._

"_Guys! Get over here! I think Professor Juniper sent over our Pokemon!" Buki shouted, so excited he'd forgotten all about the day before. A few minutes later the three stood in Buki's room, about to open the package. Buki pulled the ribbon off and flipped the lid away from the box. Inside were three Pokeballs. The first had a leaf sticker on the top, next there was one with a flame sticker, and last was one with a bubble sticker._

"_It's only fair that Buki picks first. This is _his_ house." Bianca said. Buki stepped up to the box and grabbed one, hefting it like he was testing the weight. He looked at his bed and saw an orange strip of cloth he hadn't noticed before. An obi. He tied it around him and slid the ball under it. He nodded._

"_I choose Oshawott." Bianca stepped up. "I want Tepig!" Cheren looked into the box. "You didn't even let me pick. Oh well. I was gonna pick Snivy anyway."_

_The box also had fifteen Pokeballs in it, along with three Pokedexs. Buki handed them out between the three new trainers._

"_We should battle real quick to get some experience." Cheren suggested. "Sounds good." Buki answered._

"_Go Snivy!" "Let's go Oshawott!" "Alright Tepig!"_

* * *

_Buki boarded the ferry. It was going to take him to the Sinnoh region. He felt like he needed to get away, and didn't think he could travel with his friends. To hit his point home, Bianca and Cheren had come to see him off, holding hands. They waved to him with their free hands and he waved back halfheartedly._

_Before the ship could go anywhere, a small green Pokemon ran up to the side. It jumped onto the gangplank, and leapt over the edge, knocking Buki to the floor._

"_Axew?" The Dragon Pokemon sat itself on the brown haired trainer's head. "You want to come with me?" "Axew!" The Pokemon exclaimed with a vigorous nod. Buki grinned and pulled out a Pokeball._

"_Ok then. Who am I to refuse?" He chuckled and pressed the ball to the Dragon Type._

* * *

That was the beginning of Buki's journey. He had flashes of his first year of training. Roark handing him the Coal Badge in Oreburgh City, Gardenia and the Forest Badge in Eterna, Maylene and the Cobble Badge in Veilstone, Crasher Wake and the Fen Badge in Pastoria, Fantina and the Relic Badge in Hearthome, Byron and the Mine Badge in Canalave, Candace and the Icicle Badge in Snowpoint, and Volkner and the Beacon Badge in Sunnyshore City.

His journey was a long one, and here he was, returning home once more. He'd only been home for a little while to pick Masuku up and take him to Professor Juniper's lab. He was eager to see his mom again. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Bianca calling him.

"Buki!" He shook his head. "Yeah?" "I'm not ready to go home yet. I'm going to keep looking for Cheren. Happy Birthday." She pecked him on the cheek and jumped over the side of the bridge. Her Unfezant burst out of her Pokeball and the two of them swooped away in search of their missing friend.

A man stood in their way on the Driftveil side of the bridge. It was the Gym Leader Clay. He was about as tall as Buki, but his white cowboy hat added a couple inches. He wore a burgundy button-up shirt under a brown vest, a blue tie around his neck, and a pair of blue jeans under brown chaps that matched his vest. The tips of his dark brown boots could be seen poking out from under the chaps.

"Hrmph! So yer the Trainers Elesa was talkin' about, huh Buki, Masuku?" He asked. He turned to Ash. "I don't recognize you though. I'm Clay. I'm the Gym Leader 'round these parts. Don't be expectin' no welcome, now you three, 'cause when we lowered that bridge, the Team Plasma guys we'd caught done escaped in all the ruckus!"

"Whoa Clay, it's not our fault." Buki said. "Ya can say whatever ya want. But what's important is y'all showed up, and then Team Plasma escaped. Maybe it's a little heavy-handed, but you oughta start lookin' for Team Plasma, too. Yer talented Trainers, aren't ya? Tell ya what... If ya find Team Plasma, I'll let ya challenge my Gym! Life's all about give and take!" Clay turned and walked into the city.

"So much for seeing mom, huh Masuku? Guess we'd better find those guys from Team Plasma." "But where should we look?" Ash asked. "There's only one place I know of where you could hide easily." Buki commented. Masuku looked at his brother.

"Cold Storage!" They exclaimed together. They began to go forward, but Masuku stopped. "I just realized brother. There's something I've got to do that supersedes everything else. Even visiting mom." He said cryptically. He turned and bailed.

"That was seriously weird."

* * *

In the southern part of the city was a large warehouse. The ground surrounding it was frozen, and all the workers were bundled up in blue insulated suits.

"What is this place?" Ash asked. "This is Cold Storage. It's where Driftveil City stores supplies and items to be shipped to other cities. It's called Cold Storage because it's freezing on the inside, so anything that needs to be stored cold won't defrost." Buki answered.

"How do we get in?" Ash asked, eyeing the two guards in front of the door. Each was bundled up and had six Pokeballs apiece. "More importantly, how did _they _get in?"

"The guards take breaks every twenty minutes, and there's a five minute time-span between the change. That's how _they_ got in. How _we_ get in is completely different. Follow me."

Buki lead the way around the building, to where an ancient rusted truck sat. The swordsman stepped up behind it, to an old grate covering an air duct.

"This is an old duct. It's not guarded, cause it's rusted shut. The only way I know of to get in is to jimmy it." He pulled out his wrecked blade and shoved the jagged edge in between the grate and the actual vent.

"This is harder to do with a broken blade." Buki commented. After a few moments however, Buki popped the cover off, and the two crawled in. Ash pulled the grate back in, and made sure it was stuck fast.

* * *

"Jeez. It's cold in here." Ash whispered as they dropped into the warehouse. "Well yeah. It's called _Cold_ Storage."

"Right. Well, where do we start?" "Clay didn't say how many Plasmas were in the city, but I'd start with those shipping containers in the back. It's the only place that'll be big enough to hide a bunch of people." Buki pointed to the huge blue containers that would soon be loaded onto ships and sent all around the region.

"Those are pretty big. There are a ton of them. How are we supposed to find them?" "Guess we're just gonna have to start looking." Buki began. "The ones in the back will get shipped last, so we should be able to find them like that."

* * *

"All of you-huddle around me! I can't take this cold..." The speaker was an old man with robes so purple they looked black. He wore a matching fez on top of his grey hair.

"Yes Lord Zinzolin!" The eight Plasma Grunts cried as they struggled to be the first to crowd around their senior member.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _"Oh, damn it, Ash! Samurott! Razor Shell!" The tips of Samurott's blades appeared in the corners of the carrier. The blades slashed down, making a X in the metal door. "Hydro Pump!" The doors were blasted away and the Plasmas ducked as they soared over their head. Buki and Ash stood in the doorway, framed by a bright silver light shining behind them. Then the Formidable Pokemon leapt past them and glared the nine down.

"Let's go Ash!" "Right! You ready Pikachu!" "Pika!" Zinzolin roared at his subordinates. "Pokémon are our king's friends. While we're taking care of them, we can't let any harm come to them here. Everyone, drive these intruders away!" But they were still tugging at their Pokeballs when the boys attacked.

"Thunderbolt!" "Hydro Pump!" They were all washed to the back of the carrier, frost already spreading out across their wet bodies.

"Well, I'll be! Hidin' in a chilly old place like this... You guys took care of those Pokémon robbers!" Clay walked into the storage container and grabbed Zinzolin by the lapels.

"I'm gonna get these bastards back to the Gym. You guys ain't so bad! Yup, a promise is a promise. Come on an' challenge my Gym!"

* * *

"Let's stop at my house for a little while first before we go to Clay's Gym, ok?" Buki asked Ash. "Yeah. Guess that's fine. We've gotta wait for Masuku anyway."

* * *

"I was wondering when you were going to come home!" Buki sweat dropped when his mom pulled him into a hug. "I haven't seen you since when you took Masuku on his journey in June!" (1)

His mom was really pretty, with Buki's fair skin and his hair. She was slim, and her eyes sparkled with laughter, even through the concern that shadowed them.

"I know mom. I had to do something for Clay." Buki answered. "I dunno where Masuku is though." "I'm sure he'll be back soon. More importantly, I was watching the P1 Grand Prix a few days ago, and I saw what happened in your match! Are you alright?" His mom asked, worried.

"I healed fine, but I miss my sword." He answered, pulling out his ruined blade. "Wait, I've got to get your present!" His mom ran into the other room as Masuku walked into the house.

"There you are Masuku. Where'd you go?" Just then their mother came back with a long package. Masuku handed him a crudely wrapped sphere.

"I'll open yours first, mom." He pulled the paper away from the box and took the top off it. Inside was a beautifully crafted katana to replace his broken short sword. It had a deep blue scabbard and the hilt wrapping matched. The guard was a seashell like the ones carried by Oshawott and Dewott. Ornately carved pieces of metal came from the sides of the shell, completing the guard.

"Mom, it's beautiful." Buki's voice broke as he looked at the wonderful replacement to his first blade. His mom laughed. "Why don't you open your brother's gift?" Buki peeled the paper away and found a strange Pokeball. It was black, with a ring of gold around the center, including the button. There was a red ring further up the ball, outlined in gold.

"Masuku, is this a Luxury Ball?" Buki asked. The question was worth it, because they were rare, and couldn't be found easily. "Yup. Open her up!" His brother ordered. Buki tossed it to the ground and it burst open. Out of the silver light appeared a weird looking Pokemon.

It resembled two interlocking gears with six teeth each. The teeth were a light gray, while the centers were much darker. Their left eyes were a simple "X", but their right eyes were very wide with a black pupil. They had round turquoise noses and small mouths that were always wide open.

"Kling!" The Pokemon cried. Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _"Klink. The Gear Pokemon. The two mini-gears that mesh together are predetermined. Each will rebound from other mini-gears without meshing. Interlocking two bodies and spinning around generates the energy they need to live."_

"That's really cool brother. Did you get this for me?" "Nah. The Pokeball's for you. Klink's mine." Masuku said sarcastically. "Now now boys. Don't fight."

"She's right guys. Buki, check out Klink's moves with your Pokedex." Ash suggested. Buki switched to a different function.

"_Klink's known moves are Thundershock, Gear Grind, Charge Beam, and Mirror Shot."_ Dexter said promptly.

"That's awesome. Klink's a Steel Type, right Buki? Right up your alley. So, how about a birthday battle? My Zorua needs some battling experience." Ash offered.

* * *

"Ok guys. This is a one on one battle. Klink vs. Zorua! Begin!" Masuku cried. "Klink! Use Thundershock!" The Gear Pokemon glowed yellow for a second before unleashing a mild burst of lightning. Zorua leapt out of the way.

"Let's use Scratch!" Ash called. Zorua ran forward, moving pretty fast. Its claws glowed silver and it raked them across Klink's hard metal body. It caused little damage.

"Gear Grind!" Klink separated its two gears. A blue electrical field crackled between them. They got on either side of Zorua, shocking it before closing together again on the small fox Pokemon's furry body. Then the gears began to rotate. Zorua was thrown into the air.

"Fake Tears!" Zorua's eyes welled up and the tears began pouring. Klink hovered close, seemingly concerned. Zorua grinned and slashed out with another Scratch attack. Klink's defense was lowered by the Fake Tears and the Scratch gouged shallow tracks into the metal.

"Klink!" Buki cried. He ran to his new Pokemon, but the Steel Type was already back in the air, ready to continue.

"You good?" "Kling!" "Awesome! Charge Beam!" Klink's body became surrounded by yellow sparks and it fired a massive burst of electricity. Zorua was blocked from sight by the blast, and when everything cleared Zorua was knocked out.

"That was _epic!_" Masuku cried. The others turned to look at him. "Uh…I mean: Zorua is unable to battle! Klink wins! The victory goes to the birthday boy: Buki Shiyousha!"

"You boys better get to the Gym. Clay will be waiting for you." The brothers' mom said. She turned to Ash. "It was great to meet you."

* * *

The boys had just crested the hill to the Gym. It was a big metal building with huge glass windows. There was an old-time pick-up truck out in front, dirty and dinged with use. However, the most prominent feature wasn't anything to do with the Gym. Outside the door was Clay. Flanking him was Zinzolin on the right and two Grunts on the left. Ghetsis stood on the path and seven more Grunts stood behind him.

"Clay. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Ghetsis, of Team Plasma. I've come to pick up my associates who are in your care." The charismatic man spoke.

"I don't need no thanks, now. Yer buddies were tryin' to steal some folks' Pokémon." Clay said. Ghetsis' face changed for a split second, leaving the trainers wondering it they'd really saw it. However, it was back to emotionless quickly.

"What's this? It seems as if there has been some misunderstanding. We only free Pokémon from wicked people." The strange man was pouring on the charm, but Clay didn't seem to be affected.

"Well, that sounds real nice, if it's true. I may not talk purty, but at least I'm an honest man. You talk real nice, but what yer sayin' kinda sounds like lyin'. So tell me plain, what are ya tryin' to say?" Clay definitely saw through the slick man's words.

"Team Plasma also has an interest in Driftveil City. And we have many, many more members besides those who are here…" It sounded like a threat, and Ghetsis seemed like a man who could follow through.

"...Well, I can't tell if yer lyin' or not, but I reckon you've won this without a fight. Hrrmph. Fine. Take 'em and git!" Clay relented. The boys couldn't believe he'd just given up like that.

"A decision worthy of a businessman called the Miner King. Your grasp of the situation is outstanding. Well then, we will be taking our colleagues off your hands..." Ghetsis mocked. The 'Miner King' still didn't look affected.

"Ghetsis... Thank you very much..." Zinzolin cowed. Ghetsis smiled. "Don't worry, my fellow servant of the king... We are two of the Seven Sages, are we not? Well then, everyone, I expect that we will meet again somewhere." All the Plasmas walked away quickly.

"Sorry to let Team Plasma go after you tracked 'em down, fellas. I didn't want to make a scene. Say, why don't we cheer ourselves up with a Pokémon battle? Don't keep me waitin'!" He disappeared into the Gym.

* * *

**And that's the end of Chapter 13! I hope you enjoyed the back-story of our hero, and the arrival of Zinzolin, plus Ghetsis showing up again. There's always something going on when he's around. This was a chapter I've been wanting to write for some time. I based Buki and Masuku off me and my sister, but I combined our personalities into each character. I thought it'd make them more rounded, and I'd like to believe I was right. So, as I'm posting this, I'm officially 18! Check out next chapter with the Driftveil Gym Battle!**

**New Note: I can't believe I'll turn 20 in six months. That'll make two years this chapter has been on the internet, and I just can't believe how long the story has gone on. And it'll keep going. I promise.**

**(1) - Masuku's official birthday is June 18****th****. That's when Buki picked Masuku up to take him to Professor Juniper's lab. They flew, by Pokemon, and it took them two days. The official start of their shared journey is June 20****th****, in the year 2011. They've been on the road for three months and two days.**


	14. Earth-Shattering Power

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**DisasterMaster445 here with another chapter of Pokemon: Best Wishes! It's been awhile since my last update, and it's nearly Christmas. I don't know if anyone else remembers when there used to be Pokemon Christmas specials, but I do, and I plan on making a separate one-shot to celebrate the first Christmas in the Unova Region. But I digress. Last time we learned about Buki's past, and saw the beginning of his journey. Ghetsis and Team Plasma wreaked some havoc in Driftveil City, and Clay just let them go, but gave a challenge to our three heroes.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: The Fifth Challenge - Earth Shattering Power!**

* * *

The three boys walked through the doors of the Gym, but were quickly surprised at the layout. Inside was a large room that looked like a hotel lobby, but had no furniture. It was dominated by a square hole in the middle of the floor. The only person in the room was a man the boys had seen in at least two of the Gyms they'd visited previously. He had white hair, a white dress shirt, red slacks, and a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose.

"Hey there Champions-to-be! The name's Clyde, and there are some things you need to know about this Gym. As I'm sure you know, Clay battles with Ground Type Pokemon. That leads me to explaining this hole here." He gestured to the pit in the floor.

"This is Clay's mine shaft. He waits for challengers at the bottom to remind himself that he started at the bottom in life. With nothing. So, your battle begins with a clime to the bottom of this shaft, and then let the valuables lead you where you need to go."

* * *

After that cryptic message the boys began the climb down the ladder. It took them quite awhile to get to the bottom, and they were hunched over, panting and leaning on the wall as soon as their feet touched the floor.

"Let's keep moving guys." Masuku said. Buki and Ash caught their breath and followed the excited boy down the earthen hallway. Glowing green crystals lit the way, leading them where they needed to go. The corridor led to a large room under the Gym. It was full of mining equipment, and the path from the hallway led up to a mound of dirt with a flat top. Clay stood in front of three huge crystals that jutted from the ground just behind the mound.

"It's been awhile since I saw you youngin's here in Driftveil. You even brought you a guest. But I can't go easy on you just 'cause this is your homecoming. I got an idea. Since there are three of you, how's about we get yer feet wet with a Triple Battle?"

"Triple Battle?" Ash asked. "Yeah." Buki began to explain. "Just like a Double Battle, but with three Pokemon. Clay would send out three, and we'd each send one out." "I like the sound of that." Ash declared.

"Go Pidove!" "Samurott! Let's cut 'em down!" "Give us a win! Scraggy!" The three Pokemon appeared in front of their respective trainers with a flash of light.

"Those ain't bad choices." Clay said. "I hope you think the same 'bout mine!" He threw out three of his own Pokeballs. "Palpitoad! Excadrill! Krokorok!"

Buki pulled out his Pokedex. _Palpitoad, the Vibration Pokémon. Palpitoad's long, sticky tongue is used to capture prey. It lives both on land and in the water._

Masuku grabbed his Pokedex too. _Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sandile. The special membrane that covers Krokorok's eyes detects heat, which allows it to see in the dark._

"Those guys are pretty impressive." Buki said. "Let's take 'em out brother." Masuku nodded. "You ready Ash?" The younger boy asked. Ash nodded too. "Well then: Battle _begin_!" Clay declared.

"Pidove! Aerial Ace!" Pidove flew at the three Ground Types and disappeared as Buki cried his command. "Samurott! Use Aqua Jet!" "Scraggy, let's try your Faint Attack!" Masuku followed up. Pidove appeared again, covered in silver streaks of energy as it dive bombed the Ground Pokemon. Samurott whirled around behind the three Pokemon, encased in the familiar dome of water. Scraggy had disappeared completely.

While the Ground Types looked for it, Clay called "Dodge!" The three jumped out of the way. Scraggy was standing where they had been, about to attack. The three Pokemon attacks collided, throwing each of our heroes' Pokemon in a different direction.

"That was pitiful. Let's show 'em some real teamwork! Excadrill! Palpitoad! Krokorok! Use Earthquake!" The three jumped up together, and shockwaves rippled across the ground. Pidove was unaffected, but the other two Pokemon were thrown to the ground again.

"Masuku! Tell Scraggy to get a Focus Punch ready!" Buki called. "You heard him!" Masuku cried. "Samurott! Surf!" Samurott roared and a wave of water rushed up from the ground, with Scraggy at its crest. The wave hit just as Scraggy leapt into the air. Excadrill and Krokorok were blasted back, but Palpitoad, being half Water Type, stood his ground. He was the target of the Focus Punch. Scraggy hit the blue bump on Palpitoad's head and a vibration bounced it away. Palpitoad staggered back to his feet.

"That was a good combo." Clay acknowledged. "Excadrill! Use Smackdown on Pidove! Then Triple Earthquake!" The Subterrene Pokemon scooped a rock from the ground and it hit Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon dropped to the ground just as the vibrations hit again. All three Pokemon were tossed into the air.

"Pidove, get back into the air and use Quick Attack!" Excadrill began using multiple Smackdown attacks, but Samurott jumped in the way, reared up on his hind legs, slashing through the rocks with his blades. Pidove closed in.

"Palpitoad! Use Hydro Pump!" The blast of water hit the Flying Type and knocked it back. "That's the way!" Clay exclaimed. Pidove shook the water from its feathers and began to glow.

"Pidove's evolving!" Masuku said in awe. The light died and Pidove's new form flapped proudly in the air. "Tranquill!" It called. Ash used his Pokedex.

_Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. Tranquill is always able to return to its Trainer no matter how far the distance between them._

"Alright! Tranquill! Let's try out your newfound power! Use Sky Attack!" Tranquill flew up into the air, turned around and flew straight down at Palpitoad. Its body became surrounded in a clear aura with white energy around it and it flew into the Vibration Pokemon at top speed. Palpitoad shot off the mound of dirt and crashed into some of the glowing crystals, bringing them down on top of it.

"My Palpitoad is unable to battle." Clay sighed. "Return. You did well pardner." He returned the ball to his belt. "You've officially beaten me Ash. Your part in this battle's over."

"Good luck guys." Ash held out his arm and Tranquill alighted on it. Buki and Masuku nodded their thanks. Krokorok crossed his arms and gave a sharp-toothed grin. Excadrill raised an eyebrow at his cocky partner.

"Well brother, I guess it's our turn." Masuku declared. "That's right. Samurott, let's see how you handle our old combos with your new form! Aqua Jet! Razor Shell!" Daikenki started to perform the familiar attack, but was off balance because of the bigger swords and his helmet's horn. The Formidable Pokemon crashed to the ground and slid to a stop in front of the Ground Types.

"Metal Claw! Thrash!" Excadrill's claws glowed and Krokorok launched a barrage of punches and kicks. Samurott flew back across the field. The Water Type stood back up with a glare and Buki watched, mesmerized as Samurott's horn began to glow with golden energy. Buki had a light bulb moment.

"I've got it buddy. _Now_ use Aqua Jet!" Daikenki smirked, understanding as he ripped his swords from their sheathes and stabbed them into the ground. He grabbed onto them and propelled himself forward. He began to spin and corkscrew, until the water streamlined in the front, making a sharp point of water just ahead of the horn.

"Excadrill! Drill Run!" The Subterrene Pokemon folded together into Drill Form and shot off like a rocket. They collided into a standstill in the center of the field, each pushing hard against each other. Finally they launched past each other. Samurott whirled around and flew at Excadrill's unarmored back. He zoomed past, further injuring his opponent before making another pass, and another, until it looked like Excadrill was doing a dance in the sky before Samurott let the Subterrene Pokemon hit the floor of the Gym, totally knocked out.

"Excadrill, return." Samurott landed between his swords, sheathed them, and let out a roar as he stood on two legs. "Showoff." Buki smirked as he returned the Formidable Pokemon to his Pokeball. "Looks like it's up to you little brother." Buki winked and leaped off the mound.

Scraggy and Krokorok had been content to watch the battle till now, but they were looking forward to finishing this off.

"Scraggy! Let's get after 'em! Use Low Kick!" Scraggy rushed forward and slid like a baseball player, extending one leg and knocking Krokorok's legs out from under him. Krokorok stood up slowly, but surely.

"Use Swagger!" Krokorok crossed his arms again and raised an eyebrow at the small Fighting Type. He gave that smirk again and began to glow red. Scraggy's eyes followed suit.

"Careful brother. Swagger raises the Attack stat, but confuses the target. If Scraggy hurts himself, he'll take more damage." "I _know_ brother." He turned back to his Pokemon. "Hi Jump Kick!" Buki sighed. "Damn idiot."

Scraggy somehow heard the command through the confusion and leapt high. He flipped, and aimed his knee in Krokorok's general direction. _"So far, so good."_ Masuku thought. Krokorok moved his head subtly, and Scraggy flew right past, crashing into the ground. Krokorok whirled.

"Assurance!" Clay barked. Krokorok's fist glowed purple and he slugged the Shedding Pokemon. Scraggy flew back and skidded to a stop in front of his distressed trainer.

"Scraggy is unable to battle! The last victory goes to me! Sorry 'bout that little guy."

* * *

"It's ok Masuku. You'll train up a little bit, and you can challenge him to a rematch." Buki consoled. A voice rang out. "Hmph. You lost to that guy? He was a joke." Masuku whirled and came face-to-face with Trip.

"What're you talking about you prick?" "No need for that kind of language." Trip taunted. He showed the Badge that Ash and Buki had in their Badge cases. Masuku glared at the blond boy.

"Ha. Glare all you want kid, but you can't beat me if you can't beat him." Trip turned away. Masuku smirked. "Then why don't you put me in my place?" Trip stiffened and turned around. "Gladly. Anything to wipe that look off your face." "You know what you're doing brother?" Buki asked. Masuku didn't reply.

* * *

"This'll be a four-on-four battle. No substitutes. You'll battle till all four of the opponent's Pokemon are knocked out." They were at the Driftveil City Battle Club, and Don George was refereeing.

"I understand. Beat this kid without changing Pokemon and go on my merry way." Trip commented. "We'll see, prick." "Now, now. None of that. This will be an honorable battle."

"I'll go first!" Trip threw his first Pokeball. "Go! Vanillite!" The Fresh Snow Pokemon was a small ice-cream cone-shaped Ice Type Pokemon.

_Vanillite, the Fresh Snow Pokémon. Vanillite's breath is more than fifty degrees below zero when it exhales, creating ice crystals and causing it to snow._

"Go! Timburr!" The Muscular Pokemon cracked his neck and started swinging his beam around. "Timburr!"

"Vanillite vs. Timburr! Begin!" "Vanillite! Use Ice Beam!" The Ice Type opened its tiny mouth and shot off the beam of freezing energy at the Muscular Pokemon. Timburr smirked and spun his beam in front of him, blocking the Ice Type attack.

"Timburr, get in there! Hammer Arm!" The wooden beam began to glow, and Timburr jumped up into the air. He slammed the Fighting Type attack into the Fresh Snow Pokemon, knocking it to the ground. The resilient Pokemon got back up.

"That's the way. Use Mist!" Vanillite's eyes began to glow and his small body let off a mist that chilled everyone to the bone. "Hit us now." Trip taunted.

"Let's try Stone Edge! If we can't see them, we'll hit _everything_!" Two glowing rings formed around the Fighting Type and small chunks of rock formed. "Fire!" The rocks blasted off in all directions.

"That was pitiful! Icicle Crash!" Five icy spears burst from the mist, getting impaled in Timburr's wooden beam. Timburr looked at the ice in surprise.

"Now that we've got your attention, use Ice Beam again!" Masuku and Timburr had no idea where the attack would come from, and were struck unawares when the attack blasted the wooden beam, causing the icicles embedded in the beam to extend, forming a cage.

"Now there's no way for you to dodge the next attack." Trip declared as the mist cleared. "Sheer Cold!" Vanillite inhaled deeply and breathed out an extremely cold burst of air that froze Timburr solid.

"It's a one-hit KO!" Don George cried. "Vanillite wins!" Trip looked happy, but Vanillite didn't look like a winner. The Fresh Snow Pokemon was tired from that Sheer Cold attack.

"Grr. Go Throh!" Masuku ground out as he brought Timburr back. "Throh vs. Vanillite! Begin!"

"Throh! Use Retaliate!" Throh's eyes turned red and he smashed a rocky fist into the weak Ice Type. Vanillite crumpled. Trip's eyes widened.

"In case you didn't know, Retaliate's power doubles if an ally was defeated before it was used. And your Vanillite didn't have to much longer anyway.

"Vanillite is unable to battle! Throh wins!" Trip returned the defeated Fresh Snow Pokemon and pulled out another Pokeball. "Let's go! Jellicent!" Trip's Frillish had evolved since the last time it had been seen.

"Use Water Spout!" Jellicent inhaled a massive amount of air, ballooning him up huge. When he released the attack a giant spray of water threw Throh back off the battlefield and through a wall. He climbed back through and got ready to go again.

"It's no use. You can't hit my Jellicent because Throh only knows Fighting Type moves!" Trip taunted. Masuku and Throh cracked their knuckles together. "I love a challenge!" The wrestler exclaimed. "Foresight!"

Throh's eyes glowed and it shot a beam at the dual type Pokemon. "Now! Let's try out a Superpower!" Throh leapt toward the Pokemon, glowing deep blue. He slammed both fists into Jellicent's bulbous head, sending him crumpling to the ground. However the Floating Pokemon was back in the air in an instant.

"You'll have to try a little harder than that to get rid of my Jellicent! Use Ominous Wind!" Jellicent waved his main two tentacles and howled and unearthly howl, sending a furious purple wind that buffeted the orange Fighting Type.

"Throh! Stand your ground! Use Endure!" Throh braced his arms over his chest and barely slid back. He started to push forward. "Hit 'em with Reversal!" Throh was in front of the Floating Pokemon now, and he reached out, grabbing both flailing tentacles. He gathered them in one hand and began to glow. He turned around and heaved the dual type over his shoulder, smashing it into the ground. It floated back up weakly for a second, before dropping back down to the ground.

"Jellicent is unable to battle! Throh wins!" "Jellicent, return." Trip pulled out his third Pokeball. "Go! Lampent!" _Lampent, the Lamp Pokémon, and the evolved form of Litwick. Rarely, Lampent can be found with Litwick leading people and Pokémon to the Ghost World while stealing their life energy._

"Throh vs. Lampent! Begin!" "Start with Confuse Ray!" Trip commanded. His Lampent's eyes glowed gold and Throh swayed back and forth, obviously confused. "Now, let's try our Inferno!" Lampent put its arms together and a light blue flame appeared in its hands. It pulled its arms next to it, dragging the fire. It leaned on its back and threw the fire to the top of its head. When the fire reached its head, Lampent started to spin rapidly with the top of its head facing the Judo Pokemon. A light blue stream of fire with dark blue rings fired from the top of its head at Throh.

"Throh! Endure!" Surprisingly, Throh crossed his arms and braced himself as the powerful Fire Type attack washed over him. Throh blinked hard and used a Foresight that Masuku hadn't called for.

"Yes! He's snapped out of confusion! Give 'em another taste of your Reversal!" Trip smirked. "Don't celebrate just yet. Look." Throh was covered in energy to cast the move, but it crackled and sparked before blowing up.

"Throh is unable to battle! Lampent wins!" Masuku returned Throh to his Pokeball. He was proud of the Judo Pokemon. He grabbed Scraggy's Pokeball.

"Scraggy vs. Lampent! Begin!" "Let's get 'em buddy!" "Scrag!" "Heh. Lampent! Use Will-O-Wisp!" Lampent spun rapidly, sending out a lot of tiny blue embers that burned the Shedding Pokemon. "And finish it off quick with Hex!"

Lampent's eyes started to glow with a purple and light red, and it held its arms up in the air. Multiple beams of black energy outlined in dark purple emerged from the tips of both of Lampent's arms and float into the air above it. The black energy then met in the air above it. Once it did, Lampent lowered its arms and the trailing black energy disappeared. The black energy combined and forms into a round black ball of energy with multiple branches of black energy coming off it. In the middle, huge red eye formed. The eye released multiple light blue, magenta, and dark blue rings of energy at Scraggy.

"Hex does double damage to any Pokemon with a status condition!" Trip called over. "Damn." Masuku said. "That was good planning." Buki commented.

"Scraggy! Dodge with Hi Jump Kick!" The Shedding Pokemon leapt clear of the blast, but it followed him with a vengeance. He was consumed just before he could get to Lampent, but the attack continued, hitting it's master as well, and knocking it to the floor.

"Ghost Types are weak against other Ghost Types! Now's your chance!" Buki encouraged. "Scraggy! Switch tactics! Use Payback!" Instead of switching moves, Scraggy's Hi Jump Kick began to glow purple and he landed hard on the Ghost/Fire Type. Just as Scraggy jumped clear, there was a small explosion that left the Lamp Pokemon in a tiny crater.

"Scrag!" The small Pokemon declared, shooting his trainer a thumbs-up. "Lampent is unable to battle! Scraggy wins!" As soon as Scraggy heard that, he glowed a little.

"That's Scraggy's Moxie!" Buki yelled out to his little brother. Masuku smirked. "Three down, one to go." Trip leveled a glare at the wrestler. "You just keep thinking that." He pulled out his last Pokeball. "Go! Servine!"

"Servine vs. Scraggy! Begin!" "Leaf Blade!" Trip cried. Servine began to close the distance between itself and the Shedding Pokemon. Its leafy tail began to glow as it somersaulted into the air, bringing its tail down toward Scraggy's head.

"Scraggy! Let's try _you_ using Swagger!" Scraggy nodded and smirked at Servine. The Grass Snake Pokemon glowed for an instant before veering off course and slamming into the ground.

"Headbutt!" Masuku called out. Scraggy ran at the Grass Type and crashed into it head-first. Servine was knocked back, but was back up. He swayed a little. "Servine, let's use Grass Mixer!" The Grass Snake Pokemon started spinning on his head while his tail glowed. A tornado of bright green leaves formed around him and he whipped his tail at Scraggy.

The Shedding Pokemon was lifted high into the air, Servine swung his tail, and Scraggy was sent on a crash course to the ground.

"Use Rock Climb on yourself!" Masuku decided. In the Mixer there were two spots that glowed white. When the attack hit the ground, a giant rock pillar shot from the dirt, with Scraggy on top. The Fighting Type leapt from the top, sailing through the air above the starter Pokemon.

"Brick Break!" "Leech Seed!" Scraggy's arm started to glow white just as Servine launched a brown seed at the smaller Pokemon. The seed hit and vines spread out over Scraggy's body. He began to glow red, and flew right past Servine. Masuku got ready to recall Scraggy when something amazing happened. Scraggy tried to stand, but his energy was being sapped. Scraggy's burn from his fight with Lampent flared up, burning the seed away from the Shedding Pokemon.

"What?" Trip was indignant. "That was freakin' _awesome_!" Masuku cried. Scraggy flashed the thumbs up to his trainer before turning back to Servine. "_Leaf Blade!_" Trip exclaimed. Servine jumped back into the air. Masuku had to time this right.

"_Rock Climb_!" Scraggy thrust his hands against the ground as Servine brought his tail down. The pillar of rock burst up under the Grass Snake Pokemon, sending him flying high into the air. Scraggy ran up the pillar at full speed and jumped after Servine.

"Time for a little in-the-sky combo! Brick Break into Hi Jump Kick!" Scraggy used his glowing arm to deliver a serious chop to Servine's midsection, sending him hurtling toward the ground. Meanwhile, Scraggy somersaulted and aimed his knee at the falling Pokemon.

Just as Servine hit, Scraggy slammed into him, driving him further into the ground. The Shedding Pokemon flipped back into the air and landed in front of his trainer. Servine laid so long that the match was about to be called, but Don George was stopped by a blast of green light that leapt at least four feet into the air. Servine crawled off the ground with an evil glint in his red eyes. The glow died down, but a sense of power radiated over the Grass Snake Pokemon, and there was no sign of the earlier confusion.

"That's Overgrow." Trip said smugly. "Giga Drain!" Servine shot a pair of vines and constricted Scraggy, sapping his energy. "Masuku!" Buki called out. "With Overgrow in effect, Giga Drain will take twice as much of Scraggy's power!" Masuku's eyes widened. After a few seconds, the vines dropped Scraggy to the ground and receded back to Servine.

Scraggy picked himself up and staggered around a little, but luck wasn't in his favor this time. Servine had healed himself almost completely, but Scraggy was almost gone, and Fate chose this time to make the Shedding Pokemon's burn strike again. The Fighting Type hit the ground again.

"Scraggy is unable to battle! Servine wins!" Masuku looked shattered. "Scraggy, return." The smaller Pokemon was brought back to the ball and clipped back under Masuku's stomach band. He grabbed his last ball and chucked it. "Pignite! Let's finish 'em off!" The Fire Pig Pokemon appeared with his usual burst of flame and the strike of a pose.

"Final battle! Pignite vs. Servine! Begin!" "Heat Crash, Pignite!" Pignite jumped up, flipped, and caught on fire before rushing at the ground, and the Grass Type. "Please." Trip taunted. "Dodge!" Servine slinked away and Pignite crash-landed in Servine's crater.

"You're _way_ too slow to hit my Servine long range." Trip boasted. "Cut!" Servine was in Pignite's range in seconds, slicing and dicing with his leafy claws. Pignite stumbled back, unable to defend from the furious assault.

"Get in there with Flame Charge!" Pignite stomped on the ground and burst into flames. He took off running after the Grass Type. "Dodge it." Servine jumped over Pignite.

"Damn it! Fire Thrust!" Flames crackled to life across Pignite's palms. He whirled around and finally scored a hit on the Grass Snake Pokemon. Servine fell back, but jumped up quickly.

"Leaf Blade!" Servine swept around and crashed his tail into Pignite's midsection. Pignite flinched, but grabbed the tail. "Heat Crash." The Fire Pig Pokemon hopped up and fell on the Grass Type.

"Giga Drain!" "Not _this_ trick again!" Masuku cried. Servine leapt away from Pignite, once more glowing green with Overgrow. Another pair of vines shot out and began to drain energy from Pignite. When they receded, Servine still glowed green, not getting enough energy to heal.

"If that won't work, we'll drain you all at once! Leech Seed!" The brown seed attached to the Fire Pig Pokemon and began sprouting vines. Pignite's eye's widened when he felt the energy drain. Soon, instead of the natural red glow from the Leech Seed, another glow over took Pignite, and the vines that encircled the Fire Type withered and died.

"Pignite's Blaze." Masuku understood just how close this battle was to being finished. "Fire Thrust!" Pignite spread his arms at his sides, and flames overtook his hands. The Blaze power formed large 'gloves' of flame over Pignite's three fingered hands that looked distinctly like Hariyama's hands.

"If that's how it's going to go, let's show them what we've been working on, shall we, Servine?" The Grass Snake Pokemon's smirk grew, and he nodded. The green glow dimmed slightly, and his tail lit up in a Leaf Blade. But that wasn't all. The two matching leaves on his back began to glow as well. He jumped up and went into a half-somersault, grabbing his tail in the process. When he landed, he began to roll, end-over-end, speeding at Pignite. The glow took over his body, making him look like a glowing green donut.

"_It's all over here!_" Masuku and Trip yelled in perfect, unpracticed unison. Pignite began to run, and the two met with a crash. Pignite brought the huge augmented hands up and grabbed Servine's body, trying to stop him spinning.

"Now!" Trip exclaimed. The three leaves extended, starting to saw into the Fire Pig Pokemon. Pignite's hands began to shake, and the flames crackled erratically.

"Pignite!" Masuku was worried. "Flame Charge!" Pignite struggled to lift his leg up. He stomped and burst into huge flames, just as Trip called "Giga Drain!"

Instead of vines restraining Pignite, the energy just started to drain into Servine by itself. Pignite began to droop, but the fires grew higher and brighter. Pignite started to shake and the flames suddenly burst and turned bright blue, momentarily blinding anyone looking directly at Pignite, which was, of course, everyone. What they missed was Pignite holding Servine at bay with one hand, pulling the other back in a fist. The Fire Pig Pokemon drove the fist into the Grass Snake Pokemon, throwing him, still spinning, into the air before crashing to the ground. Red sparks cracked around Pignite before he fell to his knees, panting hard.

When his eyes cleared, Don George declared, "Servine is unable to battle! Pignite wins, and the victory goes to Masuku Shiyousha from right here in Driftveil City!" The match had gotten a lot of spectators, and they all began to cheer.

* * *

"What was that last move?" Masuku asked after the match. Ash was the first to answer. "That was 'Flare Blitz.' It's one of the strongest Fire Type moves. My Infernape learned how to use it." Buki stopped and stared.

"Wait. You've got an Infernape? I've _always_ wanted an Infernape!"

* * *

"Oho. Back fer a rematch, are you?" Clay asked. "You bet. I can't leave this city again until I've beaten you. It's really important." Masuku vowed.

"Alright. I guess we can beat that pride of yer's down a little."

"This will be a one-on-one match between me and little Masuku here. Any objections?" Masuku shook his head. "Good. Go! Krokorok!" The Desert Croc Pokemon appeared, smug as usual. "Let's do it Scraggy!" The Shedding Pokemon grinned at the opponent.

"That little Scraggy again? Sure you don't want to choose somethin' else? I'll let you." "Don't underestimate us Clay! Scraggy! Let's start with Swagger!" "Use your Swagger too." Clay decided. Both Pokemon were now confused.

"The hell did that accomplish? Both our Pokemon are confused." Masuku said. "If you can't attack, you can't win." Clay said sagely. "Touché."

"Krokorok! Let's try and end this quickly, can we?" Clay asked. "Dig." The Desert Croc Pokemon jammed his claws into the ground and began to burrow. Masuku watched, really carefully. Krokorok burst out of the ground right in front of Scraggy, except facing the wrong way.

"Uh…Sucker Punch?" Scraggy looked out of it, but his fists still glowed purple as he knocked Krokorok in the back of the head. The Ground Type whirled around, with no sign of confusion in his eyes.

"That's the way Krokorok! Assurance!" The Desert Croc Pokemon's hands glowed purple as he slammed them into Scraggy, throwing him back.

"Rock Climb!" Scraggy hit his hands against the ground, sending the rock pillar up out of the ground. Krokorok was lifted high, standing at the crest of the rock. Scraggy started running up the rocks as fast as he could. His confusion was gone as well.

"Teach this kid a lesson! Earthquake!" Krokorok smirked once again and jumped off the side of the rock. He landed hard and caused the largest Earthquake caused by a single Pokemon that the Gym had ever seen. The Rock Climb shattered and Scraggy plummeted, followed by a ton of rock. But Scraggy took it well. As soon as he hit the ground he was up and dodging.

"Rock Climb! Again!" "Have you learned nothin' boy?" Once again, Krokorok was borne into the air on top of a rocky spire.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Scraggy leapt to the first rock and propelled himself into the air, quickly rising to Krokorok's level. Krokorok seemed paralyzed at the sight of the flying Fighting Type Pokemon. He _did_ have the sense, however, to quickly sidestep. A couple inches was all he needed, and Scraggy flew off the side, shooting toward the ground.

"Payback!" Scraggy's whole body glowed purple and a wave of energy burst out, shattering the rock. The blast also propelled Scraggy back in Krokorok's direction. The falling Pokemon didn't know what hit him as Scraggy drove his Hi Jump Kick into him. He was blasted into the air while Scraggy dropped back to earth in a crouch. Krokorok landed a second later.

"Krokorok is unable to battle! Scraggy wins! You've got your Badge Masuku!" Buki exclaimed, jumping onto the mound of dirt to congratulate his brother.

* * *

"Hrrmph. I see. But I sure don't like it! Fer such a young 'un, ya have an imposin' battle style. I know ya got people who can dig up yer potential." Clay said, looking at Ash and Buki. "Hrmph. Here! Take this!" He handed Masuku his Badge. "I just remembered there's somethin' I want. Wait in front of the cave at the end of Route 6, wouldja?" The boys nodded, unsure.

* * *

**There it is. Long chapter, huh? So, about that Christmas story. I think I can have it done in a few days if I get a good idea. If you think of anything, drop a review. What does Clay want at this cave at the end of Route 6? Well I sure as hell ain't telling' ya. Just kidding. You'll find out next time, at Pokemon: Best Wishes. Drop me some feedback, and know your flames won't effect me in the slightest. Ja Nae. **

**New Note: I really hate that I never wrote that Christmas fic. Nobody ever reviewed, so I just guessed it wasn't a good idea...Maybe this year.**


	15. Chargestone Cave

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**I'm a little disgusted with myself for not getting a Christmas story up and not updating in so long. So, I'm thinking when the boys get to Icirrus City that I might make something to do for the past holiday. However, I'm focused on the now, and now, Clay wants the boys to meet him at the end of Route Six. What does the Gym Leader want there? What will happen when they arrive? Only time will tell. Also, the return of a couple recurring characters, and battles aplenty.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Chargestone Cave - Setting of an Epic Battle**

* * *

The boys were standing in front of the cave's entrance. They were a little surprised to see bright yellow webs stretched across the opening. The webs sparked erratically.

They'd been waiting for a little while when Clay jogged up. He mopped his brow. "Thanks fer waitin'. Looks like th' nest of an Electric-type Pokémon called Galvantula. Don't know why there's a nest here, but if there are folks havin' problems, th' Gym Leader's th' one ta fix it. Krokorok! Take it out!" Krokorok slashed his claws across the webs, effectively shredding them.

"I don't know how good you really are, but if ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits." Clay tipped his hat to them before returning the Desert Croc Pokemon to his Pokeball and strolling off.

"Alright guys. I guess we go in now." Ash decided, leading the way into the dark maw of the Chargestone Cave.

* * *

The three had just stepped into the cave, eyes not yet adjusted to the blackness, when each felt strong arms grabbing them up and their feet leaving the floor.

* * *

When they were dropped back to the ground, they were in an area lit by glowing blue crystals that let of sparks. N stood before them.

"What the hell just happened?" Masuku demanded. "Ah, yes. That was the Shadow Triad, just now. Ghetsis enlisted them in Team Plasma. Apparently, they were the ones who prepared the Galvantula nest at the cave entrance." N replied with a smirk.

"Chargestone Cave... I like this place. Formulas express electricity and its connection to Pokémon... If people did not exist, this would be an ideal place." He turned to Buki. "You have been chosen, you know. Does it surprise you I said that?" Buki _was_ surprised, and it showed on his face.

"Hmph. If you don't understand what that means, it's likely to surprise you." N said. Buki bristled. "Just what _does_ it mean then?" N ignored the question and pressed on.

"I told Ghetsis about you and your friends. After I did, he apparently used the Shadow Triad to find out about you. Ash strives to be a Pokemon Master, but isn't the smartest trainer. Poor Masuku is impulsive in battle, unable to think ahead and always distracted by girls. And you are in the middle-more of a neutral presence. You're intelligent and level-headed in battle. Which is apparently a good thing. Team Plasma will be waiting for you ahead. Ghetsis wants to see what kind of Pokémon Trainer you really are." He disappeared into the gloom out of the range of the crystals.

"…What the hell?" Masuku asked.

* * *

The boys headed in the direction N took, but were soon halted by one of the floating crystals. Buki inspected it, but didn't want to touch it in case it was dangerous.

"Hi there! How are you, Ash, Buki, Masuku?" The boys turned to see Professor Juniper striding up. She saw them inspecting the crystal and decided to give them some information.

"This place is always charged with lots of electricity that Pokémon like! The electric charges react from one stone to another, and that's why some of the stones are floating! But not all of the stones can be pushed." The boys looked puzzled.

"So…we can just push this thing out of the way?" Ash asked. Juniper nodded. Buki had a different inquiry. "Why are you here Professor?"

"My father asked me to research Klink, which is a Pokémon that looks like a gear, because I'm researching the origins of Pokémon and the era they appeared. He knows how to get what he wants from people, but I was already interested in this anyway, so it's a lot of fun!" Buki furrowed his brows.

"I have a Klink, Professor. I could let you borrow it." The Professor's eyes lit up. "Would you really, Buki?" He handed his Luxury Ball over. "Thanks. I'll make sure to get it back to you." She walked away.

"That was kinda weird." Masuku commented. He leaned against the crystal and it shot away from him, getting magnetically attached to a large glowing rock twenty feet away. Masuku picked himself up while his companions laughed.

* * *

They made good progress, getting far into the maze known as Chargestone Cave, when they heard the sounds of battle coming from up ahead. They came into sight of the fighting and saw three Pokemon doing battle. One was easily recognizable as the Krokorok in sunglasses. How he managed to get into the caves was unknown. He was fighting against a team of two Pokemon native to the caves.

The first was Tynamo. Masuku reached for his Pokedex. _Tynamo. The EleFish Pokemon. __These Pokémon move in schools. They have an electricity-generating organ, so they discharge electricity if in danger. While one alone doesn't have much power, a chain of many Tynamo can be as powerful as lightning._

The other was a Ferroseed. Buki got his Pokedex too. _Ferroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon. __When threatened, it attacks by shooting a barrage of spikes, which gives it a chance to escape by rolling away. They can also stick their spikes into cave walls and absorb the minerals they find in the rock._

The three Pokemon hadn't noticed the trainers yet, and continued attacking. Tynamo used a powerful looking Spark, but Krokorok was obviously unaffected. The Desert Croc Pokemon lashed out with his claws at the levitating Pokemon, knocking it back just in time for Ferroseed to launch itself in a Gyro Ball. It sent Krokorok falling to the floor of the cave, where it used Earthquake. Cracks appeared in the walls, and rocks fell from above.

"We've got to stop them!" Masuku cried. "They won't stop fighting. We'll have to capture them." Buki realized. He made a quick decision and grabbed a Pokeball. "I'll get Ferroseed!"

* * *

A burst of water shot the three Pokemon apart, sending them sprawling. Samurott, Primeape, and Pignite rushed them, keeping them apart. Ferroseed spun quickly, shooting its thorns in all directions. Everyone took a hit, and the Thorn Seed Pokemon began to roll away.

"_Stop him!_" Buki roared. Samurott rushed past, driving his blade into the ground in front of the fleeing Pokemon. It rolled straight up the blade and into the air. It let more spikes slide out and used Metal Claw. The spikes turned silver and got longer, turning Ferroseed into a falling ball of death.

Samurott ripped his blade from the ground and brought it up, blocking Ferroseed from landing his hit. Sparks flew as the Thorn Seed Pokemon kept spinning. The spikes extended more, almost reaching the Formidable Pokemon. The Water Type braced the blade with his other paw.

* * *

Pignite, at Masuku's command, had been hammering Tynamo with Fire Thrusts. However, the EleFish Pokemon had no weaknesses, and the attacks weren't doing a lot of damage.

"Pignite! Change tactics! Flare Blitz!" The flames on Pignite's hands burned blue and expanded to cover his body. Pignite smirked and rushed Tynamo. The Pokemon's Levitate ability kept him in the air, making it hard for Pignite to land a sure hit. The Fire Type leapt up, using impressive speed to his Tynamo before it could dodge. Red sparks leapt out over his body.

Through Pignite's pain, he saw Tynamo charging in himself. The EleFish Pokemon unleashed Thunder Wave. Yellow sparks replaced the red ones as paralysis took over. If the fish-like Pokemon could grin, it did. It created electricity around itself and blasted it at Pignite in a Charge Beam. The Fire Pig Pokemon was blown back.

* * *

Krokorok locked his powerful jaws around Primeape's gloved left hand. The pig Monkey Pokemon growled in anger, and started to focus. Ash grinned. Krokorok didn't attack. It just kept its jaws locked, keeping Primeape from moving away.

"Focus Punch!" Primeape brought his right fist up and crashed it into the Desert Croc Pokemon. The Ground Type fell back, jaws unclenched. He picked himself up, and glared at the Fighting Type. His eyes glowed blue behind his sunglasses, and sand rose from the floor, swirling around Primeape.

"That's Sand Tomb!" Ash said. Primeape was immobilized. Krokorok dug his tail into the floor and slung mud at Primeape. The hit knocked the Pig Monkey Pokemon out of the sand and onto the floor. Krokorok grinned darkly.

* * *

"Razor Shell!" Samurott swung his glowing blades and started to whirl, scoring hits on the Thorn Seed Pokemon. Ferroseed combined Iron Defense with Gyro Ball and kept flinging itself at the Formidable Pokemon.

"Try Aqua Jet!" Samurott leapt back, drove his swords into the ground, and launched himself forward as Ferroseed came at him again. The Formidable Pokemon spun in the water, forming a spear, and the two collided. They fought back and forth for the victory, but Samurott dropped from the water, letting Ferroseed shoot past, crashing into the wall.

Buki pulled out a Pokeball, and clicked the button to enlarge it. "You're mine, Ferroseed. Pokeball, _go_!"

* * *

"Grrr. Pignite! Let's try Heat Crash!" The Fire Pig Pokemon leapt high over Tynamo and came down covered in flames. The EleFish Pokemon undulated through the air just like it was swimming. Tynamo barely got out of the way and Pignite hit the ground.

"Pignite! Are you ok?" The Fire Type crawled to his feet. "Alright. Let's do this! Heat Crash! One more time!" Pignite got ready to leap, but sparks buzzed around him, keeping him firmly on the ground. Tynamo flew toward Pignite in a speedy Tackle attack.

"Time it right…" Masuku muttered. Tynamo hit and Pignite started to slide back. "_Now_!" Masuku cried. Flames erupted across the Fire Pig Pokemon's body, and he fell forward, crushing the tiny EleFish Pokemon.

"Pokeball! _Go_!"

* * *

"Krok!" The Desert Croc Pokemon had just used a move the Dex classified as Foul Play. Apparently it took the attack of the opponent and used it against it. Primeape was thrown back, but it quickly rolled to its feet. Krokorok moved in for the kill.

"Close Combat!" Primeape got in close and lashed out with his powerful fists, dealing super effective damage.

"Pokeball, _go_!"

* * *

It was a few days after the three trainers caught their Pokemon. They were still in the caves, but they'd been hearing the sounds of other trainers since the day before. They'd just broke camp when they came upon two of the trainers. They were grunts from Team Plasma, and they had their backs to the group. Buki pulled Masuku and Ash back behind a few of the large magnetic stones. Masuku pulled away from his brother.

"Why aren't we gonna fight them?" He whispered furiously. "We could beat their asses!" He pulled out a Pokeball and started to move around the rocks. Buki grabbed his stomach band and jerked him back. Masuku hit the dirt floor, and his Pokeball clattered across the floor. It burst open and Throh appeared in a bright light. The grunts whirled.

* * *

The two grunts were knocked out and bound by a rope pulled from Buki's pack. Their Pokemon lay in their Pokeballs beside them, just out of reach.

"_This_ is why we didn't want to fight the grunts!" Buki cried as they took off down the path. Their battle brought other grunts running for them, and they had to book before more fighting ensued.

The cave was getting brighter, and they had just realized they were nearing the end of the cave when they stumbled across their green-haired adversary, N. Buki whirled and threw a Pokeball toward the mob of grunts charging at them.

"Samurott! Hydro Pump!" The Formidable Pokemon leapt into action shooting the cannon blast of water, knocking all the grunts back, leaving them unconscious.

"That was an impressive display of power." N commented dryly. Then he got serious. "Buki, I really do believe you've been chosen to oppose me. Many different values mix together, and the world becomes gray... That is unforgivable! I will separate Pokémon and people, and black and white will be clearly distinct! Only then will Pokémon become perfect beings! Yes, that is my dream! That is the dream I must fulfill! Buki, do you have a dream of your own?" Buki looked unnerved at being put on the spot.

"I do." He answered hesitantly. "You have a dream…" N started. "That's wonderful. I'll learn just what kind of dream you have-in battle!"

"I will become a legendary Pokemon trainer. And I'll stop you from tearing Pokemon and humans apart. I won't let you separate my friends from me!"

"We'll see." N declared, throwing out a Pokeball. "Go, my friend!" The Pokemon that appeared in front of the green-haired trainer was Joltik. The small, yellow spider Pokemon glared at Buki and let sparks surge around it.

"Guess we will." Buki grabbed his first Pokeball and let it fly. "Go, Excadrill!" The Subterrene Pokemon banged his claws together as he brought them up. "Guys," Buki looked to Ash and Masuku. "don't interfere. He wants this to be me and him, so it'll be me and him." The two nodded.

"Joltik! Use your Electroweb!" Joltik spat his yellow webs at the Ground/Steel Type Pokemon. They wrapped around Excadrill, and sparks flew all around him, but he was unaffected.

"Surely you knew that wouldn't work?" Buki taunted. "Metal Claw!" Excadrill ran forward on stubby legs, slashing out at the Bug Type with his claws. Joltik leapt around, trying to dodge, but was only narrowly escaping. Finally, Excadrill scored a hit and Joltik flew back.

"Bug Bite!" Joltik jumped at Excadrill, small jaws opening and closing wildly. In a flash, the Electric Type was crawling across the Subterrene Pokemon's body, teeth gnawing.

"Use Drill Run to throw it off!" Excadrill slipped into Drill Form and began to spin, throwing Joltik into the air. Excadrill shot off, arcing through the air to strike N's Pokemon and send it flying farther. The Ground Type circled back, striking multiple times, until Joltik dropped.

"Return." N said with a solemn expression. He pulled out his next Pokeball. "We'll free all the Pokemon!" A Ferroseed came forth from the Pokeball.

"Sunny Day!" The barbs on Ferroseed's armor began to glow, lighting up the caves even more. "Solarbeam!" The light began to draw back into the barbs, forming a ball of energy on the top spike. Ferroseed began spinning and the ball fired in the form of a powerful beam.

"Iron Defense!" Buki commanded. Excadrill crossed his claws over his chest and angled his head down, forming a three-pronged defensive shield. The beam hit and the Subterrene Pokemon was pushed back. When the attack ended, Excadrill looked fatigued.

"We'll have to try and end this here!" Buki decided. "Drill Run!" "Gyro Ball!" Both Pokemon began to spin and took to the air to battle it out. They collided in the air, both spinning in the same direction, leaving the two Dual Type Pokemon in a stalemate.

"Curse!" Ferroseed glowed for a moment, increasing Attack and Defense, decreasing Speed. Ferroseed began to push harder, Gyro Ball's power increasing because of the lower Speed stat.

"Iron Defense! One more time!" Buki called out. Excadrill glowed too. His increased Defense meant that they were once again even. Ferroseed, already a slow Pokemon species, couldn't lower his Speed anymore with Curse. However, Excadrill could keep using Iron Defense for a little while longer. Ferroseed was thrown away from Excadrill. The Thorn Seed Pokemon crashed into the ground, drilling deep.

"C'mon friend." N encouraged. Dirt flew as Ferroseed began to spin the other way, bringing itself out of the hole. "Good!" N cried. "Rollout!" The Grass/Steel Type tipped onto its side and began to rotate at high speed. It shot forward, leaving a cloud of pebbles behind it.

"Excadrill! Catch it with Metal Claw!" Ferroseed bounced off the ground just as the Subterrene Pokemon raised its glowing claws. Sparks flew as the two Steel bodies scraped each other. The friction caused Ferroseed to slow down, and it extended its barbs to give it more leverage, the green spikes digging into the floor. The Grass Seed Pokemon forced its body to turn again and the spikes started to move.

"Pin Missile!" Those long spikes were jettisoned from the body they stretched from. Excadrill fell back, losing grip on Ferroseed, who slammed into him, launching him back. He staggered back to his feet, on his last leg. The two trainers called the last attack at once.

"_Drill Run_/_Rollout!_" The Pokemon clashed once more, blowing past one another, both crashing to the floor. The trainers returned their Pokemon together and replaced their Pokeballs with fresh ones.

"Go! Sawk!" The Karate Pokemon got into a fighting stance, awaiting the arrival of his opponent. "I choose you, my friend!" N threw his Pokeball and a Klink appeared, hovering in the air.

"Fling!" Sawk reached into his gi and grabbed his Iron Ball. He threw it with surprising speed, knocking Klink out of the air and dealing serious damage.

"Karate Chop!" Sawk's arm glowed as he charged at Klink. Without the Iron Ball weighing him down, the Fighting Type moved even swifter than usual, crashing his arm into the Steel Type.

"Thundershock!" While Sawk was still touching, the Gear Pokemon dropped a blast of lightning upon itself, dealing little damage to itself, and using its metal body to deal greater damage to Sawk.

"Gear Grind!" While Sawk was slumped, Klink separated its two gear bodies and floated to either side of the blue Pokemon. Sparks leapt between them, hitting Sawk, and the two magnetically re-bonded, grinding Sawk's body till he flew into the air.

"Charge Beam!" "Quick Guard!" While in the air, Sawk slammed his palms together. He glowed red for a moment before a red barrier appeared around him. The Charge Beam hit and was redirected straight up. It hit the ceiling, causing chunks of rock to rain down. Sawk hit the ground and fast as a flash he was standing in front of Buki, the Quick Guard protecting the trainer from the rocks. Klink was blasting the rocks away from N with Thundershock. The rocks stopped falling.

"That was close." N commented. "Focus on the battle." Buki advised. "Sawk, let's use Double Kick!" Sawk moved in once more, faster than Klink could follow. The Karate Pokemon brought his left leg up in a roundhouse kick, then whirled on the left foot he planted on the ground, bringing his right leg around in a powerful spin kick. Klink flew back.

"Discharge!" Klink glowed yellow and unleashed a wave of electricity at Sawk. The Fighting Type was knocked off his feet, but somersaulted back to his feet.

"Brick Break!" Using his superior speed, Sawk appeared right beside Klink, whirled, and crashed his glowing arm into the Gear Pokemon. It dropped to the ground.

"Return." N said sadly. "I'm down to my last friend. Help me win! Boldore!" The Ore Pokemon crouched low, realizing the disadvantage it was at.

"Don't worry my friend." N soothed. "I won't let you get hurt." "You can't promise that." Buki argued. "This is a battle! _Both_ sides get hurt!" N thought for a second.

"You're right. My friends getting hurt... That's what a Pokémon battle is. But soon, that will change." He vowed. Buki glared at him.

"You know I can't let you achieve your dream. It affects _my_ dream, and the dreams of every other trainer and Pokemon in the _world_!"

"We shall see. Let us begin!" "Yeah! _Let's._ Sawk, let's end this fast! Close Combat!" Sawk rushed the Rock Type, swinging his fists and kicking out wildly. Boldore was driven back, but due to its ability, Sturdy, the Ore Pokemon stayed in the battle.

"Stone Edge!" Boldore's crystals began glowing and chips of stone erupted from the ground at Sawk's feet. The Karate Pokemon was blasted into the air.

"Rock Slide!" N commanded again. Boldore glowed once more, and began sending tremors through the floor. The cracks in the ceiling expanded, dropping rocks onto Sawk's airborne body. The Fighting Type crashed to the ground under a pile of stone.

"Return." Buki pointed the Pokeball at the pile and the laser made it through a gap between the rocks. They tumbled downward, filling the empty spaces left by Sawk's unconscious body.

"You did well." He said to the Pokeball. He put it under his obi and grabbed his third. "This will decide the battle."

"Don't be so cocky. I'm a decent battler." "I agree. You're pretty good, N of Team Plasma. But I'm gonna be the very best. Like no one ever was. I'm going to be legendary! Go! Samurott!"

The Formidable Pokemon burst from his Pokeball with a roar that shook the cave. He stood on his hind legs, swinging his blades.

"Let's do this. Shell Shuriken!" Samurott charged his blades full of energy, making them glow blue. He brought his arms out at his sides and brought them forward, releasing the blades. They whirled at the Ore Pokemon.

"Rock Blast!" At N's command, Boldore fired multiple rocky blasts that buffeted the blades to the ground. Boldore kept firing, aiming at the Water Type.

"Water Spear!" Buki yelled. Samurott leapt up, surrounded by water. The starter Pokemon began spinning, and the water tapered back over Samurott's barbed horn. As he roared through the air he hit the rocks fired at him, cutting straight through them. He made a bee-line for Boldore, only needing one shot to end the whole battle.

* * *

"Tsk! Why? Is it impossible for me to win while feeling bad about being a Trainer? As if I could pursue the truth with something as meaningless as a battle! As if that could make me worthy to become friends with the legendary Pokémon!" N had been defeated.

"You lost because your will was strong, but mine was far stronger." Buki declared. The argument was cut off by Professor Juniper making her entrance, picking through the defeated grunts.

"Buki? Who are all these people?" She caught sight of N. "Who's this trainer?" She thought for a moment. "No matter. Before I forget, this is why I came this far in." The professor pulled a Luxury Ball from her lab coat.

"Here's your Klink back." She smiled as she passed the Pokemon over. "I can see that Klink likes you a lot." N looked outraged.

"Professor Juniper, what are you thinking? You appear to have no qualms about the relationship between Pokémon and people. You put Pokémon into categories using arbitrary rules and think you can understand them like that... I hate Pokemon researchers and their Pokedexs. The very idea of a Pokedex revolts me. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Professor Juniper was very unsettled. "Oh, my. Looks like you're not my biggest fan. Your opinion is understandable. It happens to be different from mine, which is equally understandable. How about if all people get to decide for themselves how to relate to Pokémon?"

That made N look even madder. "You're saying I should just allow people to think whatever they want and treat Pokémon however they want, no matter whether the Pokémon suffer? I refuse to tolerate the existence of a world like that!" He stormed out of the cave, leaving his grunts, and no one tried to stop him.

The professor looked a little down. "Well, I didn't expect him to change his mind right away. But I hope he'll spend a little time trying to understand how others feel. Now, then... I think I'll go collect a little more data. For Pokémon and people to get along better, we need to take steps to learn more about them!" She walked back into the cave.

"What do you think of that N guy?" Ash asked Buki. "Well-" Buki began. Masuku cut him off. "I think he's a loon." Buki glared at his brother. "I'd be inclined to agree, but I think he's just misguided. It's not important right now. Let's get out of this cave."

* * *

**There you have it. There's chapter fifteen. Ash, Buki, and Masuku have encountered N once more, and have added new friends to their ever-growing family. We see that N isn't always as calm and collected as he seems. Think that might be his undoing? Next time the boys exit the caves, entering Mistralton City, home of the sixth Gym, and the sixth Gym Challenge. Will the Leader prove to be a challenge for our heroes? Find out here next time in Chapter Sixteen: Skyla and the Battle for the Jet Badge! Read, review, and tell me what you think. Ja Nae.**


	16. Skyla and the Battle for the Jet Badge!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Good old Master of Disaster here to give you all the next installment of Pokemon: Best Wishes. In the last chapter, we see Ash, Buki, and Masuku enter and exit the Chargestone Caves. In the midst of these magnetically charged stones the boys find Team Plasma, probably up to no good. A conversation-turned-battle with their King, N, leaves more questions than answers. Buki was the winner of the match, but will he win the final encounter?**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Skyla and the Battle for the Jet Badge!**

* * *

The boys stumbled out of the opening, blinking hard in the glaring sun. They looked around, trying to discern their surroundings. A couple feet down from the opening was a fence that extended from the wall of the caves. It was about fifty feet long. On the other side they could see the tarmac from an airfield full of planes and a grassy meadow full of greenhouses. In the distance they could see a huge airplane hangar. It held the symbol of the Unova League, identifying it as an official Gym. There were a few houses in their field of vision, and the Pokemon Center was directly in front of them.

"This is Mistralton City." Buki groaned out, still disoriented by the bright light. They took a few steps forward before being stopped by a man and a girl coming from the direction of the Gym.

The man was an older man, with medium-length brown hair and a goatee. He wore a yellow shirt with a white collar. The sleeves were rolled up. He also wore a dark brown pair of pants and tan shoes. He caught sight of them, seeming to recognize them.

"Oh! Hey! Ash, Buki, and Masuku, right?" He walked up to Buki. "Let me see your Pokedex for a moment." He began scrolling through the pages of the Unova Pokedex. Then he switched it to the International Pokedex.

"What do we have here? So, you've found quite a few Pokemon, eh? Staggering! You've seen a Klink! You're becoming quite the Trainer." He moved on to Ash, making similar comments, then moved to Masuku. The boy was a little reluctant to hand his over.

"Excuse me! I was a little excited and forgot my manners. My name is Juniper! Cedric Juniper. Heh! The professor who gave you the Pokedex is my daughter! That girl has told me a lot about you three. It really makes my day to meet you!" He introduced himself to everyone, but turned to Masuku.

"In honor of our meeting, I'm going to upgrade your Pokedex so it's like your companions'!" After tinkering for a little while, the man handed the Pokedex back. Masuku shifted his eyes to the beauty standing behind the Professor.

"Professor, who're _these_ trainers?" The one who asked was a beautiful teenage girl. She was tan, with bright blue eyes and red-brown hair. She wore a light blue, long-sleeved tank-top, with darker blue gloves that went to the elbow. Dark blue straps, like a safety harness, crossed her chest and connected the tank-top to her light blue short-shorts. She also wore a pair of boots that were the same blue as her gloves. She wore a propeller in her hair. Her voice was light and lyrical.

"Oh! I forgot my introductions! Skyla, these are friends of my daughter's. They are traveling around Unova to complete the Pokedex." The girl's - Skyla's - blue eyes widened.

"Oh, I see! So that means you'll be challenging the Gym! Oh boy! I'm really looking forward to it!" She smiled and Masuku stiffened. Buki however, looked startled to realize Skyla was the Gym Leader. She wasn't last time he was in his home region.

Reading his mind, Cedric piped up once more. "That's right, Buki. You should challenge this Gym! If nothing else, this Gym is really out there! See you, Skyla. If something comes up again, I'll let you know!" He was referring to something the pair had been speaking about before meeting the trio. Skyla looked exasperated.

"Professor, my plane is a cargo plane! It carries cargo, not people! And you're talking as if places like Kanto and Sinnoh are right around the corner!" The Professor gave a jovial wave before shouting out once more.

"Aww, Skyla. If you keep frowning, your face might freeze like that, and that'd be a shame." "I'll say." Masuku muttered. Ash and Buki were the only ones to hear him. The Professor continued. "People and Pokémon, we all have to help each other out! See you later!"

The Gym Leader turned back to the three boys. "Sheesh! It's hard to believe a happy-go-lucky guy like that could be a world-renowned Pokémon professor." She smiled at the three of them.

"Heads-up you three. As a Gym Leader, I'd be happy to have you challenge the Gym, but there's something I need to take care of first. Just now, as I was flying the cargo plane, I saw something on top of the Celestial Tower. I'm sure that it is a sick Pokémon! If it is, I can't just leave it there! I have to look into this right away." She pointed to the Pokemon Center behind them.

"Go get a room in there, and we can battle tomorrow. Sound good?" They nodded. She smiled again, turned, and walked away. The boys watched her hips sway with different levels of interest. Masuku's heart-shaped eyes were nearly bulging from their sockets.

* * *

"She's _beautiful._" It was later that night, and the boys were in their room. Masuku hadn't stopped talking about the pretty Gym Leader, Skyla.

"Yes brother." Buki deadpanned. "She's the vision of sexiness." Ash laughed and Masuku threw a pillow at him. The pillow landed on Zorua, sleeping at Ash's side with Pikachu. The Dark Type leapt off the bed, immediately attacking Buki. Masuku and Ash laughed as the samurai leapt around the room trying to escape the baby Pokemon.

"Zorua, stop." Ash commanded after five minutes. He and Masuku were red-faced and panting from their laughter. The Fox Pokemon promptly jumped off of Buki and jumped back onto Ash's bed.

"I hate that little bastard." The samurai groaned as he picked himself up.

* * *

"Ha-ha! I've been waiting for you!" Skyla exclaimed as the three boys walked through the doors to the Gym. Upon seeing the redhead, Masuku's eyes lit up and he began to move forward. Buki threw out an elbow and knocked his brother to the ground. Ash bent down to help the younger Shiyousha to his feet.

"Uh…what was that about?" Skyla asked. Buki paused for a second. Then he smirked. "Just keeping him on the ground." Ash snickered and lost his grip on Masuku, letting the younger boy hit the floor once more.

"Let's just get started!" Masuku cried, leaping to his feet with fire in his eyes. The Gym Leader looked a little taken aback, but answered his call with equal enthusiasm. She led the way to the battlefield, which was hanging from the roof of the Gym from thick metal chains. There was a huge hole in the ceiling, cut straight through the metal. Occasionally, breezes would come through, rocking the platform. The only way up was a rope ladder that swayed in the winds.

Masuku lost a little of his bravado looking at the floor high above him. He visibly paled, dropping to his brother's paler shade. His Adam's apple twitched as he tried not to gulp.

"Little jittery, brother?" Buki laughed. To tell the truth, the sword-wielding trainer wasn't as confident as he came off. Neither boy liked heights, and both hated the fact that most of their Pokemon were weak against Flying Types.

Like Buki predicted, the barb got Masuku ready to prove himself once more. He grabbed the ladder and started the long climb upwards. Ash was next, feeling no fear about the heights, having been higher up before. Buki stared up at the two trainers making their way, before gulping like his brother. He grasped the rough woven material that would hopefully keep him from plummeting, and began the ascension.

* * *

"So," Skyla began when all four trainers and the referee stood on the platform, "how do you propose we do this? We could Triple Battle, or have three one-on-one matches, or we could have three full battles." The boys thought, but it was Ash that spoke up.

"I want to have a full battle. I want to train my Pokemon, and it's been awhile since we've had full Gym battles." The other two nodded. "Sounds good." Masuku said. "Then it's decided." Skyla said. "Who goes first?"

* * *

"The battle between the Gym Leader - Skyla - and the challenger - Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town - will now begin!" Ash and Skyla were facing off on the field, while Buki and Masuku were in a metal spectator's box welded to the wall that could connect to the platform with a retractable metal pathway.

"Swoobat, I choose you!" Skyla's Swoobat was a cobalt colored, bat-like Pokémon. Swoobat's large pink snout sported a single, heart-shaped nostril, and its mouth was wide and fanged. A mane of white fur covered its neck and body. Its black, bat-like wings had 'thumbs', and its lower limbs were also black. Its bare, pink, rat-like tail had prongs at the tip that formed a heart shape. It also had three-toed feet extending from the underneath its mane. Ash's eyes lit up in opportunity before he drew his first Pokeball.

"I believe in you." Ash whispered before throwing. "Go! Zorua!" The Tricky Fox Pokemon flashed a cute smile before scowling as Buki howled at Ash.

"Are you _retarded?_ Zorua's still a baby! It's not even two months old yet!" The Dark Type growled and started to pad over to Buki. Ash called it back to his side quickly.

"If what Buki says is true, it may've been a bad idea to call on Zorua. I _am_ a Gym Leader after all. This isn't the kind of match you use to level up a baby." Ash stared at her for a second.

"I pick Zorua. It wasn't a mistake." He looked down to his Pokemon. "You ready?" He nodded.

"Fine. Swoobat, use Psychic!" Zorua was outlined in blue for a second, but the glow faded, and Zorua was unaffected. Buki smiled.

"Now I understand your decision. Dark Types aren't affected by Psychic Type attacks!" Masuku grinned as well, and started cheering for Ash and his intelligence.

"Thanks guys. Now, Zorua! Let's get this started for real! Faint Attack!" The Tricky Fox Pokemon smiled again before rushing. All of a sudden, he slid to a stop, pointing with his snout. Swoobat, not knowing what to make of this behavior, flapped a wing and whirled around. Zorua leapt up and scored his small claws across the Courting Pokemon's back.

Ash smiled with pride. "That's right! Let's win this first match Zorua!" "I don't think so! Swoobat, use Air Cutter!" Swoobat flapped back into the air, ready to attack, but didn't see its target. And somehow, its trainer had managed to get onto the battlefield before it could rise.

Ash couldn't believe his eyes. The Pokedex had said Zorua could transform, but he wasn't sure if he believed it till now. The only problem was that Zorua's tail was sticking out of his short-shorts, and that Skyla wasn't as fooled as her Pokemon.

"Continue with the attack! Aim for me!" Swoobat didn't question the order and launched multiple crescent-shaped energy bursts at Zorua. Ash was thinking quick however.

"Agility!" The Skyla with the tail dashed around, dodging all the attacks. "Bite!" 'Skyla' moved in, sinking unnaturally long incisors into Swoobat's fleshy tail. Zorua transformed back, dragging Swoobat to the ground before shaking it around in his jaws.

"Swoobat! You have to break free! Use Gust!" Skyla gasped. Swoobat began flapping its wings furiously, throwing Zorua away. The breeze merged with the wind that flowed naturally, shaking the platform. Zorua began to slide toward the edge, and Ash toppled, sliding as well. Skyla was fine, used to the shaking of her battlefield.

"Ash! Get up!" Masuku exclaimed. Ash smashed his feet against the field, the rubber of his shoes stopping him to quick, sending him headfirst. Luckily, the winds died down, righting the platform and saving Ash's life.

The Kanto native was panting heavily, and his Pokemon was clinging to the edge, claws sank into the stone. Ash ran over and pulled Zorua up.

"Still think it's wise to continue?" Skyla stuck her tongue out teasingly at the trainer. "We won't quit, will we Zorua?" The Tricky Fox Pokemon answered by leaping back to the middle of the field.

"Fine. Swoobat, let's finish this up quickly! Air Slash!" Swoobat raised its wings above its head, and an orb of blue energy began to form. The Courting Pokemon swept its wings at Zorua, sending the powerful Flying Type attack at the Tricky Fox Pokemon.

"Jump over it!" Zorua jumped, and the ball exploded on the field underneath him, sending him flying toward Swoobat. The Flying Type was surprised to see Zorua soaring through the sky, and made no move to dodge.

"Fury Swipes!" The Dark Type's short claws extended, glowing bright. He raked them across Swoobat's body multiple times before the Tricky Fox Pokemon landed lightly on the field behind it.

"Good job!" Ash cried. Zorua smirked at his trainer before squinting his eyes and concentrating hard. He opened his mouth and formed an unstable blue ball full of black circles that bulged and moved around. Zorua made a motion almost like a cough, and the ball fired from his mouth, traveling a few inches before transforming into a thin beam that blasted Swoobat out of the air. Ash, Buki, and Masuku all gaped at the defeated Psychic Type Pokemon, then switched their gazes to Zorua.

"What…the _hell_ was that?" Masuku asked. "I…think it was Dark Pulse." Ash said. The referee cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him.

"Swoobat is unable to battle! Zorua wins!" Skyla was surprised as well. "I thought you said Zorua was a baby." Ash nodded. "He is." Skyla pondered for a moment.

"Dark Pulse is a high level attack. It must've been bred into your Zorua." The Tricky Fox Pokemon was panting hard after that attack and was standing on his last legs. Ash returned him to his Pokeball. Skyla was standing at the ready with her next Pokeball in hand.

"Unfezant, let's start fresh!" Skyla's Unfezant was male, with the brilliant pink head plumage the species was known for. Ash thought carefully before raising a Pokeball and pressing the button to enlarge it.

"Go! Krokorok!" The Desert Croc Pokemon burst from his Pokeball, making his Gym debut with a defiant pose: arms crossed over his chest, peeking over his shades at the Proud Pokemon.

"You just aren't making good choices in this battle, are you?" Skyla asked. Then she paused. "Well, your last choice worked out well for you, but will this one?" Ash was confused.

"Krokorok's Ground Type! None of his best moves will work on Unfezant!" Buki clarified. Ash nodded. "I've never let a type disadvantage get me down before! Ready Krokorok?" One nod.

"Unfezant vs. Krokorok, begin!" "Use Razor Wind!" Unfezant took to the air and began flapping his wings with powerful strokes, causing the wind to whip furiously. Silver crescent blades formed in the wind and buffeted the Ground Type, with the added bonus of sending the platform rocking once more.

"Stand your ground!" Ash yelled, crouching to keep his footing. Krokorok stayed in his pose, looking almost bored, with the claws on his feet dug deep into the rock of the floor. Finally, the assault ended.

"Beat Up!" Krokorok smiled at the call of his personal favorite move. He weaved around, making himself harder to hit before leaping high into the air above Unfezant. Krokorok came down, striking out with his scaly fists. He struck one hit for ever Pokemon Ash had on his team, for a total of five hits. Each drove the Proud Pokemon closer to the floor of the platform.

"Sky Attack!" Unfezant burst into deep red flames, making Krokorok back off before completing his final hit. The Proud Pokemon looped around and struck Krokorok at full power, sending the Ground Type crashing to the platform floor.

"Krokorok!" The dust had yet to settle, but already Ash could see that Krokorok was ok. A horrible red glow illuminated the dust, outlining Krokorok. He glared up at Unfezant, and then pointed a claw at something on the ground. Finally, the dust cleared and everyone could see what the Pokemon was pointing at. Krokorok's sunglasses were on the floor, lenses shattered, frames split in half. Skyla began to laugh, not understanding what was wrong.

"Ash." Buki warned. "That's Anger Point." The trainer looked back at his Pokemon, who was shaking uncontrollably at this point. Skyla's laughter was the last straw for the Desert Croc Pokemon.

"_Krokoroooooooooooook!_" The Ground Type leapt into the air so fast it looked like a takeoff, even gaining the respect of the no longer laughing Gym Leader. Krokorok unleashed a series of quick, furious blows, that Ash recognized as Thrash. Unfezant was thrown back, and Krokorok was still attacking. When he finally dropped back to the floor, his opponent's immobile body flew right over the side of the platform, plummeting toward the ground. Skyla brought it back to its Pokeball.

"Unfezant is unable to battle! Krokorok wins!" Krokorok roared at Skyla one more time before turning and walking to his broken glasses. The black lenses were beyond repair, and the red frames almost were too. The Ground Type narrowed his eyes before giving the pieces to Ash and growling a challenge to Skyla.

Skyla looked alarmed at the anger in Krokorok's eyes, and offered an apology. The Desert Croc Pokemon wouldn't hear it. He wanted another battle. Skyla obliged.

"Swanna! I choose you! Finish this battle for me!" Skyla's Swanna was a mostly white swan Pokemon. Its beak was long and yellow. Several white-colored feathers adorned its head. The more rounded feathers are to the sides of its head, and the more pointed feather is on top. Like regular swans, Swanna had a long, curved neck. Two light-blue sets of feathers, like the ones on the sides of Swanna's head, grew on Swanna's underside, and Swanna's large wings were positioned strangely, sprouting from the shoulders, but with the ends perched on the sides of its feathery body, like having hands on hips. Swanna's legs were small, and its webbed feet were dark colored.

"Swanna vs. Krokorok, _begin_!" Krokorok leapt forward again, ignoring Ash's cry to wait. Skyla laughed. "Looks like someone can't control their anger. Swanna! Hurricane!"

The White Bird Pokemon unfurled its wings and flapped into the air, meeting Krokorok. She began flying in fast circles around the Ground Type, whipping up powerful winds, and drawing wind from outside. The platform rocked dangerously, and Ash had to crouch again. The wind formed into a tornado in the air that touched down in the middle of the floor, sending a shallow crack all the way across. Krokorok was beaten by the winds until he hit an air pocket in the center, where Swanna was.

"Water Pulse!" Swanna's beak opened and a glowing ball of water formed. The ball was launched, knocking Krokorok back into the winds, and shooting him out into open air!

"Krokorok! Ash cried. As the Desert Croc Pokemon shot past one of the lengths of chain, he threw out his claws. They clashed with the links of metal, causing sparks to fly and a screeching noise that had the humans clasping their ears. Krokorok held on. Swanna burst the Hurricane apart, flying straight at Krokorok with Aerial Ace.

"Earthquake!" Buki and Masuku gaped at the stupid command from their friend, but Krokorok didn't question it. He swung off the chains, dropping to the floor, landing right in the middle on the crack. There was a tremendous shaking, and a terrible grinding sound, splitting the floor perfectly. Both sides dropped, kept from hitting the floor of the hangar by the chains. Both trainers jumped onto the foot-thick side of the platform. Skyla stood confidently while Ash grabbed onto a chain for dear life.

Krokorok had started plummeting, along with a ton of small rocks. "Stone Edge!" The chunks of rock began to glow, and they shot at Swanna, still in the air. Ash pointed his Pokeball at the falling Pokemon, returning it. Swanna was hit, but it was only moderately effective because of Swanna's dual typing.

"Krokorok has left the field! Swanna wins!"

"So that's your strategy? Break my floor and make a substitution?" Skyla grinned at him. "You're crazy. I like that." Ash smiled back.

"You ready Pikachu?" Everyone looked at him in shock. "_You're going with Pikachu?_" Masuku exploded. Buki placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him. "He's got a plan. Probably." Even Pikachu looked a little skeptical at his best and closest friend's plan, but he'd follow his trainer anywhere. Even into dangerous battles.

Luckily, the referee spent the time between calling the matches in a box like the one Buki and Masuku sat in, so he was safe. He called the next match from there.

"Final Match! Swanna vs. Pikachu! Begin!" Pikachu jumped up onto the chains and began the crawl up.

"Aqua Ring!" Swanna opened her beak again, letting an orb of water expand around her. The water began to heal the abrasions the Stone Edge caused. Pikachu made it to the top of the chains and was standing on the edge of the roof.

"Thunder!" "Pi…ka…_chu!_" The Mouse Pokemon fired the burst of lightning into the air, and a blue bolt crashed down, scattering strands of supercharged electricity everywhere. The accuracy rate was low, and the attack missed Swanna completely. It did however, almost blast Ash off his perch.

"I don't advise you do that again." Buki told the scrambling trainer. He received a glare in return. "Ok Pikachu, let's try another approach! Use Agility!"

Pikachu started leaping between the chains, at first only jumping between the ones on his side. After a few seconds he built enough speed to jump to the other chains as well.

"Let's stop them Swanna! Use Brave Bird!" Swanna flew up and then down at the Pikachu like a missile, its body bursting into flames. Then the flames faded and turned into a blue aura. It slammed into Pikachu's body as he jumped between the far side chains. When the glow faded, light blue sparks ran up Swanna's body as it took recoil damage.

"Pikachu!" Ash couldn't see his Pokemon anywhere. Then Swanna began to flap around in an agitated state, and the trainer saw his Pokemon clutching tightly to the White Bird Pokemon's feathers. Sparks started to appear around Pikachu's red cheek pouches. Ash grinned.

"_Now_ use Thunder!" Pikachu let the sparks fly up into the air, and then rose his tail up high. The blue bolt of energy hit Pikachu's tail and blasted through both Pokemon. Swanna contorted in the attack, really feeling the voltage due to her dual weakness to the powerful attack. Pikachu was thrown off, and began to tumble. At the last second the Mouse Pokemon gripped the very bottom edge of his half of the platform. With all his willpower, he used Agility again to get back to the top.

"Swanna, are you alright?" The severely weakened Pokemon gave a weary nod. "Good!" Skyla called out. "Roost!" Swanna alighted onto the edge of the platform with her trainer, beginning to glow with healing. After a few seconds the damage was all but gone.

"That was a pretty good plan Ash, but it won't work again!" Skyla declared. "Fine! Pikachu! Electro Ball!" The Electric Type formed a ball of orange and yellow sparks on the tip of his tail. He jumped up, doing a frontal flip, and fired the ball at Swanna.

"Dodge!" Swanna moved gracefully out of the way. "You'll have to do much better than that!" Skyla cried. "You'll never hit Swanna with a long range move like that!"

"I understand perfectly!" Ash looked to Pikachu. "Volt Tackle!" Pikachu grinned and nodded, before turning to run up the chains once more. When he reached the top sparks burst out across his little body before he leapt off, aimed right at Swanna, leaving a streak of lightning behind him.

"Just fly out of the way!" Swanna flapped once, moving just out of the way. Pikachu landed next to Skyla, not pausing before leaping backwards off the platform, hitting the White Bird Pokemon, who wasn't expecting the attack. Pikachu jumped clear of the ensuing explosion, landing by his trainer as Swanna took a swan's dive toward the hangar's floor.

"Return!" "Swanna is unable to battle! Pikachu wins and the victory goes to Ash from Pallet Town!" Masuku punched the air. "Awesome victory!" Buki nodded at his brother's sentiment.

* * *

Skyla had just handed Ash his shiny new Jet Badge. She turned to Buki and Masuku. "I'm afraid it's going to take a few days to fix the platform. Would you mind waiting until we get the Gym back in fighting shape?" Both boys shook their heads.

"That's fine. We'll stay in town for awhile." They turned around to head outside. They were hailed just out the door by Buki's green-haired rival, N.

"Hmph. A Gym. People may say it's for understanding one another better, but what Trainers really use battles for is to compete... And they hurt each others' Pokemon! Am I the only one who finds this terribly painful? Whatever... I'm going to talk to your Pokemon. I've been living with Pokemon since I was born, so it's easier for me to talk with them than with people. ...Because Pokemon never tell lies."

Buki didn't know what N was talking about, but from under his obi a Pokeball burst open, and a glowing silver light came from around the cloth, releasing Samurott to the open. The Formidable Pokemon roared defiantly, but N didn't bat an eye.

"Samurott, what kind of trainer is Buki ?" The Water Type furrowed his brows, not exactly understanding the question. He gave a response, his name repeated over and over.

"Ok, I think I understand. So Buki was born in Driftveil City, lives with Mom and Masuku, and was given the Pokedex to start off a journey to see the world. He's been to Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, and has competed in their major tournaments. Still, Samurott trusts you for some reason. That's good! If every person and Pokemon cared about one another like you two do, I could watch over the future of people and Pokemon without having to liberate Pokemon from people who just use them."

"What do you mean? People care about Pokemon." Ash challenged. "Why do you have to 'liberate' them?" Masuku wondered. "_What are you planning?_" Buki asked.

"Ghetsis is using Team Plasma to search for some special stones-the Light Stone and the Dark Stone... These stones hold the essence of two legendary Pokémon. It is said that when they lost their physical form, they fell into a slumber and were transformed. Now, they wait for the hero's arrival... I shall resurrect a legendary Dragon Type Pokémon from one of these stones, and become its friend. That will show the world that I am the new hero. Everyone will follow what I say!"

"But why?" Masuku demanded. N's reply was swift. "My vision is to change the world without using force. Trying to change the world by force will just make others resist. If people resist, the ones that will be hurt are the innocent Pokemon used by foolish trainers. You understand. Pokemon are not just tools for people to use!"

"Yeah. We get that Pokemon aren't tools. They're our _friends_!" Ash defended the trainers around the world. "This battle you're talking about will tear the world apart!"

N nodded. "As a result... Pokemon and trainers who care about one another, like you and your Pokemon, will be separated. And that does break my heart a little." As he finished, the three ninja, the Shadow Triad, appeared around him.

"It is time to leave, my lord." They grasped him, and vanished.

* * *

The boys were in their room at the Pokemon Center, contemplating N's words. "What do you think all that was?" Masuku asked.

"I have no idea brother, but whatever it is has something to do with the legends. You remember what he said? _'Ghetsis is using Team Plasma to search for some special stones-the Light Stone and the Dark Stone... These stones hold the essence of two legendary Pokémon. It is said that when they lost their physical form, they fell into a slumber and were transformed. Now, they wait for the hero's arrival…'_"

"What do you mean? What are the legends?" Ash asked. Buki began to turn off all the lights, and Masuku hopped to the floor of the room, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked the brothers. "Buki loves telling this story." Masuku explained. "He's gotta set the mood." He patted the floor next to him. "C'mon. this makes it more authentic." Ash grinned and shook his head, but dropped down next to the younger boy.

"Zekrom and Reshiram, the two Legendary Dragon's N was talking about, were originally one Pokemon." Buki began. "That one dragon Pokemon made a new land together with the twin heroes, and people and Pokemon lived their days happily. But one day, things changed... The older of the heroes sought the truth, and the younger sought ideals." As Buki told the story, he thought back to the Ferris wheel in Nimbasa City. He remembered N telling him that he sought Ideals, and that it would pit him against the swordsman's Truth.

"A dividing struggle began to decide who was right...The single dragon that had walked with the twins was also split into two to support both... A dark dragon that searched through the new, hopeful world for its Truth... Its name was Zekrom. And another, a light dragon that searched through the world of the past for Ideals for the future, its name was Reshiram. The two being equal entities from the very start only made the quarrel more violent. Whichever side won, they would end up absolutely exhausted.…" He paused for a second. "It's rumored that because Zekrom and Reshiram shared a body, they split equally. There really wouldn't have been a way for there to be a winner."

He continued. "The twin heroes, too, could not find either to be right in their struggle... So the struggle was ended... and yet, ... The heroes' descendents began to struggle again... So Zekrom and Reshiram used their lightning and flames to eradicate Unova in an instant... But if people hadn't been mistaken about how to get along with Pokemon, the world wouldn't have been destroyed! So Reshiram and Zekrom did their best for everyone and made a new land!" He finished with a flourish.

"So…the brother's families kept the fighting going, and the two Legendary Dragons…destroyed the region." Ash clarified. Buki nodded. "After creating this new land, Zekrom and Reshiram fell into the deep sleep N was talking about. These Stones, the Light Stone and the Dark Stone, are pivotal to Team Plasma's plan. We need to be on the lookout."

* * *

Ash lay in his bunk above Masuku, still awake. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully, but he couldn't get his mind off this 'legend.' He'd been through plenty of legends before, and he could attest that they were usually true. What he didn't know what how this was going to affect his journey with Buki and Masuku. The two of them were good friends, and great traveling companions, but was he really ready to be caught up in a huge battle between two Legendary Dragons that could destroy the region with fire and lightning? He was conflicted for a second, but then he looked to Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon was sleeping, but fitfully, as if he could sense his best friend's troubles.

Ash knew his Pokemon wouldn't forgive him, and he wouldn't forgive himself, if he left Buki and Masuku to handle this alone. He was in it for the long run.

* * *

**That's the first part of the Gym Battles in Mistralton City. I wanted this battle to be really good, so I gave this chapter to Ash, and let him shine. Next chapter will be Buki and Masuku. Also, N comes back, finally cluing his rival in to his plans. The boys are on the lookout for anything that might lead them to these Stones. Also, Ash is growing up, becoming mature, and making hard decisions. He knows he has to help his friends through this battle. So, because I think I'm not giving Ash enough in the story, (There's a reason for that.) I gave you an almost completely Ash-centric chapter. Tune in next time for Chapter Seventeen: Brothers In Arms - Vs. Skyla!**


	17. Brothers in Arms  Vs Skyla!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**Last time Ash destroyed Skyla's Gym, receiving the Jet Badge after a magnificent battle. After this battle our heroes come in contact with N once more. He finally reveals Team Plasma's master plan, to revive a Legendary Dragon and show Unova that N is the Hero of the stories of old. N has a separate plan, with the same end. He wishes for Buki to revive the other dragon, starting a monumental fight that will decide the fate of people and Pokemon all across the world. The end of the chapter shows that even the headstrong Ash has doubts and inequities. But, knowing the score, and that leaving would destroy the respect of his friends, and his Pokemon, Ash decides he will never leave.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Brothers in Arms - Vs Skyla!**

* * *

Buki and the others were about to leave the room for the brothers' Gym Battle. Skyla had contacted them a few minutes before, letting them know that the Mistralton Gym had been repaired.

Ash had been thinking recently about the things N had said, and the legend Buki told him. Something had been nagging at the back of his mind, and he felt that he had to say something.

"Guys, wait a minute." Buki and Masuku turned back to him. "Something N said has been really bugging me. You said it too." Buki nodded for him to continue. "You both said that Reshiram and Zekrom transformed into the Stones after their battle, right?" Buki nodded again.

"Well, what about the day we met?" He stopped and let the two piece his thought together. The brothers looked at each other, back to Ash, and then let their jaws drop.

"So you remember." Ash said. They nodded together, mouths still gaping. "I remember the harbor, and the storm, and what happened to Pikachu. I also remember what you said when I wanted to start my journey here." Buki nodded once more. "You said, _"You plan on going off by yourself, to make a journey across the land where Zekrom reigns supreme, when he's clearly following you?"_

"The thing that's been bothering me is that Zekrom obviously _wasn't_ hiding inside a Stone then, which makes the story different. But there's something else too. We've been on our journey for months, and we haven't seen even one storm cloud."

They pondered for a few minutes before Buki made a comment. "It _is_ pretty weird that we haven't had any storms lately. Maybe that little show at Professor Juniper's lab used up what little energy Zekrom had, and it transformed back. Masuku and I only took our eyes off that cloud for a second, and before we could look back at Zekrom it was gone."

"But…if _that's_ the case…" Masuku began. "The Dark Stone might still be at the lab!" The three of them said in unison. Buki continued with his thought.

"See, I doubt Team Plasma would notice anything, because they hadn't really mobilized until Accumula Town. That's when I first saw N. See, there are other Legendary Pokemon here in Unova. Thundrus and Tornadus are the storm Pokemon, so what happened at the lab could've been considered a freak coincidence. Thundrus and Tornadus rove throughout the region, and they're never in the same place."

"In fact," Buki continued, "I think we should call Professor Juniper. They don't know about the Stone, because they'd have said something. They could send it to us."

* * *

"It's just like you said, Buki. This Stone was under some bushes outside the lab." Both Professor Junipers were crowded in front of the screen of their computer, talking to Buki on his X-Transceiver. Buki grinned at his friends.

"Is there any way to send it to us?" The Junipers thought together. "It _is_ about the size of a Pokeball. We could transfer it to you, but we'd need to receive something back." Cedric said. Masuku thought hard before pulling an empty Pokeball from his bag.

"Can you take an empty?"

* * *

The Dark Stone really _wasn't _anything special. It was a perfectly smooth, black rock that could be found nearly anywhere underground. It was strange, however, that there weren't any imperfections, and not a speck of dirt stuck to it. The boys were back in their room, and Buki held it in his hand. It truly wasn't any bigger than a Pokeball. He felt the energy charging inside it, but it didn't magically unlock in his hand or anything. It was dead weight. _Heavy_ dead weight. Buki had another idea.

"Sawk, I choose you!" The Karate Pokemon burst out of his Pokeball and looked at his trainer expectantly. "Give me your Iron Ball." Sawk reached into his gi and pulled out the heavy item. Buki took it and switched it with the Dark Stone.

"This way nobody knows we have it." None of the boys noticed a particularly dark patch of shadows twitch subtly before disappearing from the room.

* * *

The boys walked into the hangar that served as the Mistralton Gym and glanced up at the newly restored platform. It looked exactly like it did before, but it was about a foot thicker, maybe to prevent what happened before from happening again. The rope ladder was already lowered, and Skyla stood on her side already. The three of them climbed up, Ash and Masuku heading into the box before Skyla called the younger Shiyousha back.

"I think a tag battle would be a nice change of pace. Just two Pokemon on each side. Sound good?" Masuku was staring at the pretty redhead again, but Buki stepped on his foot, bringing him back to reality. The two nodded together, each pulling out a Pokeball.

"Go, Klink!" "Let's do this, Tynamo!" The Gear Pokemon and the EleFish Pokemon floated in the air, waiting for their opponents to show their faces. Skyla pulled out two Pokeballs of her own.

"Swanna, Unfezant, I choose you!" The White Bird and Proud Pokemon also took to the air. There was no question, this was going to be a full-scale aerial battle. The referee stepped out onto the field with no small amount of apprehension, given what happened last time.

"The battle between the Shiyousha brothers, Buki and Masuku from Driftveil City, vs. the Gym Leader Skyla will now begin!" He jumped away from the platform quickly, landing safely in his box.

"Tynamo, start things off with Thunder Wave!" Masuku commanded. Tynamo began glowing with a soft, blue light. Sparks burst out in every direction, hitting all three Pokemon.

"Masuku, you idiot! You paralyzed Klink too!" Buki exclaimed. "I'm sorry bro. It's fine. We can still do this!" The younger boy vowed. "Spark, Tynamo!" This time it was yellow sparks that burst out across the EleFish Pokemon's body as it flew full-speed at the easiest target for an Electric Type attack; the White Bird Pokemon, Swanna.

"Get out of there, Swanna." Skyla commanded, rather calmly. Swanna started to lift-off farther away from the fight, but sparks started crackling across the bird's body. Tynamo got in close.

"Use Charge Beam too!" Masuku decided on the fly. The small Pokemon glowed brighter, and a ball of electricity formed in front of it. As it hit Swanna it fired the Charge Beam, dealing massive damage.

"Unfezant, get Tynamo with Sky Attack!" "Not so fast! Use Gear Grind, Klink!" The Gear Pokemon's two bodies appeared on either side of the Proud Pokemon and began grinding against the Flying Type, injuring him.

"Good job bro!" Masuku complimented. "Don't look at me, moron! Look at the opponent!" Buki chided. Masuku whirled to see Swanna flapping rapidly in circles around the platform, preparing to use Hurricane.

"What do we do?" Masuku asked, worried. Buki smiled at his brother. "Usually, if we were using our Fighting Types, I'd say we're screwed, but we've got Electric attacks." Masuku's eyes widened in realization. They spoke together.

"Charge Beam/Thunderbolt!" The winds had picked the two Pokemon up and dragged them into the giant attack. Swanna and Unfezant were in the middle of the attack, where the winds couldn't reach. The two Pokemon in the Hurricane let loose their Electric attacks, turning the Flying Type attack into a super-powered Electric attack with two Flying Types dead in the center. There was an explosion of power and all four Pokemon flew out of the smoke, looking moderately damaged.

"Roost, both of you!" Skyla's two Pokemon began to glow and healed their injuries. "That was a pretty good idea, but I won't be defeated so easily." Skyla declared. "Facade!" She called out. Unfezant glowed white for a second, then orange. He flew forward at top speed before slamming into Klink at full-force.

"Facade doubles in power if the user is paralyzed, burned, or poisoned!" Skyla called out. Klink looked a little weak now. "That's alright. We'll just stay away from you guys, right Klink?" Buki shouted. Klink murmured his name metallically.

"Discharge!" Klink lit up bright yellow before unleashing a wave of blasting electricity. The attack passed through Tynamo, not affecting him much because of his typing, and slammed into both Flying Types, nearly dropping Swanna because of the dual types.

"Roost, again!" Both Pokemon got almost all the way back to full health, while Klink was weak. Tynamo hadn't taken much damage yet. "Klink, we need a way to get in there and attack without worrying about damage." Klink blinked at his trainer.

"Autotomize! Shift Gear!" Klink began to glow, gears whirling faster and faster, eyes only white strips on the rapidly spinning gears. Skyla looked puzzled, so Buki decided to enlighten her.

"Autotomize and Shift Gear are Steel Type moves. Both raise speed by two levels, but Shift Gear also raises attack." Skyla's eyes widened. "That means that for the next couple minutes, Klink is pretty much untouchable." Buki finished.

"Gear Grind!" Klink moved so fast it looked like there were six of the Steel Type on that platform. The two gears spun around Unfezant and two more circled Swanna, Klink moving so fast that the attack on Unfezant was an afterimage, and the attack on Swanna was actually happening.

Both Flying Types hit the platform and Masuku made that his opportunity to get back into the fight. "Tynamo, let's show them Charge Beam, one more time!" "You too Klink!" The two got on opposite sides of the platform and fired their attacks together. They met in the middle and exploded, sending tendrils of crackling energy flying all around in the air. Skyla's two Pokemon tried to take to the air again only to be blasted back to the floor by touching one of the sparks. This created a minefield effect, causing more and more sparks to burst, soon making a near-solid dome of electricity, trapping the two Pokemon.

"Use Razor Wind to cut through the barrier!" Unfezant spread his wings and multiple gray blades of wind shredded the Electric Type attack. The two Pokemon cawed triumphantly and took to the air again.

"Now, Roost! Once more!" Skyla commanded again, getting on Buki's nerves and making Masuku irate. "This _has_ to be cheating!" The wrestler cried. Buki shook his head. "It's a legitimate move. It sucks, but we've gotta put up with it." However, before the two could complete the move, sparks burst out across their feathered bodies once more, keeping them from moving.

"Damn! Paralysis!" Skyla cursed. "Facade!" Unfezant shot forward once more with the attack, planning to take Klink out of the match. However, the Gear Pokemon was still affected by the Autotomize and the Shift Gear.

"Gear Grind!" Buki cried. The Steel Type outclassed the Proud Pokemon in speed, completing his attack and getting away before the Facade took effect. "Charge Beam!" Masuku called the final command, and Tynamo blew Unfezant out of the air, right under his brother's nose.

"Unfezant is unable to battle! Tynamo wins!" The referee called. Masuku brought his Pokemon back as Skyla returned her Flying Type. "Up to you, big brother." He smirked and gave a sarcastic wave, stepping into the box with Ash.

"Little bastard." The older boy muttered. He turned back to the battle. "Masuku may've scooped our knockout, but we'll get Swanna!" He vowed to Klink. More blinking.

"Right. Thunderbolt!" The blast of electricity arced toward Swanna, intent on dealing a final, super-effective, knockout blow. Swanna gracefully swept out of the way.

"Swanna has learned from battle with you, Buki." Skyla said. "You won't hit us with a long-range attack like that. We'll dodge everytime!"

"Ok then, Klink, use Gear Grind!" The Gear Pokemon moved in, but was finally slowing down. He split, about to attack. "This is what we've been waiting for! Hurricane!" Swanna started spinning on the spot instead of flying around in circles. Her large fluffy wings whipped up the necessary winds and Klink came together again on open air, getting sucked into the attack.

"You can't last much longer!" Skyla declared. "You're right." Buki admitted. "But we won't give up!" Klink's metallic shriek agreed. "Use Discharge!" Klink glowed, leaving a bright yellow blur inside the winds. The light exploded outward, breaking the winds apart and hitting Swanna with the force of a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. It was over.

"Swanna is unable to battle! Klink wins! The victory goes to the challengers, the Shiyousha brothers!" The referee called, quite glad to be through with the matches.

* * *

All three trainers were in the room at the Pokemon Center, admiring their new Badges. Masuku, still reverent in the fact that he had Badges in the first place, sat on his bed polishing his till they shined. Buki and Ash were sitting at the computer desk, doing more research on the legends.

"According to this researcher, the battle between Zekrom and Reshiram happened in what's now Icirrus City in the Dragonspiral Tower. It's apparently the last structure left from the old world, and it's where Zekrom and Reshiram lived. This guy mentions some ritual from some book. It says if you have one of the Stones in the possession of their chosen Hero then you can revive the dragon." Buki said.

"Well then, it's obvious that's what N wants to do!" Ash declared. "He's going to the Dragonspiral Tower to revive Reshiram!" Masuku looked up from his polishing. "How far out of the way do we have to go? How long will it take us to get there?"

"It's actually on the way." Buki said. "We've gotta go to Icirrus City anyway. That's where the seventh Gym is." "We've gotta stop N." Masuku said. "We have to cross Twist Mountain to get to Icirrus City. It'll take some time, but we've got time. As far as we know, Team Plasma doesn't even have the Light Stone yet."

* * *

**Deep in Twist Mountain; Route Seven**

* * *

Ghetsis sat after listening to the report from the Shadow Triad, who he commissioned to follow this Buki character that N was so interested in. The boy had obtained the Dark Stone. He was so close to achieving his plan, and N's foolish way of thinking was going to cost him the battle. But not if he could help it. He reached into his robes and pulled out the object he had _really_ gone to Nacrene City for all those months ago.

It was a white rock, perfectly smooth and round, about the shape of a Pokeball. It glowed with a faint red light that threw Ghetsis' face into terrible shadow, enhancing the evil already seen. The rock throbbed with warmth. It was the Light Stone.

"Master?" The shrouded ninja asked. "Notify N and the other Sages. We're moving out to Dragonspiral Tower."

* * *

**Shorter chapter than usual. I hope no-one minds that much, but I think it ended pretty well. I didn't want to draw out a simple two-on-two battle for fourteen pages like my other chapters. This gives a little preview for the next couple chapters of the story as well, so I hope you all paid close attention. So, the three heroes have their sixth Badge, and they've figured out their next course of action, getting to Icirrus City to stop the resurrection at Dragonspiral Tower. So be on the lookout for Chapter Eighteen: Twist Mountain! Ja Nae.**


	18. Twist Mountain! Battles to Defend Honor!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**It's been awhile since my last update. I was computer-less, but I now have my typing device back and in tip-top performance shape. So, last time we met with our heroes they had found Zekrom's hiding place, the Dark Stone. With it safely hidden in Sawk's gi, the brothers, along with Ash, returned to Skyla's Gym. The brothers defeated the Gym Leader, earning themselves the Jet Badge for their collection. They decide to head for Dragonspiral Tower in distant Icirrus City. But first they have to cross Twist Mountain. Unknown to them, however, was the fact that Ghetsis, the evil leader of the Seven Sages, set his Shadow Triad to spy on Buki. Knowing their plans, Ghetsis moves Team Plasma out for Twist Mountain to meet our three heroes.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Twist Mountain - Battles to Defend Honor**

* * *

Ash, Buki, and Masuku stared up at the mountain looming high above them. Twist Mountain was a mass of caves and mining equipment, full of Hikers and Workers. The boys were prepared for many battles. However, one found them first. Stepping out of the shadows of the entrance was a thin boy with black hair and glasses. He looked at the boys in surprise, and Buki glared at him.

"Cheren." He growled. The boy smirked. "Buki. I didn't think I'd meet you before the League." He nodded at Masuku, then stared at Ash. "I don't know you." He stated, pushing up his glasses. Ash raised an eyebrow at Buki.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." He said to Cheren. "This is Pikachu." Cheren nodded again. Buki stepped forward. "Enough with the introductions. Why the hell are you here? Don't you know Bianca's looking for you?"

Cheren smirked knowingly. "I wonder why you get so intense when Bianca comes into the conversation." Buki glared at his one-time best friend. Cheren laughed, making the swordsman even angrier. "This is my training ground. I'm _training._ Something you might try sometime."

"I'll give you some training. How about a battle?" Buki challenged. "I dunno." Cheren began. "I really want the first time I beat you to be at the Pokemon League." He rotated his neck, cracking the vertebrae. "But if it means that much to you." He pulled out a Pokeball.

"Alright, this is gonna be a four on four battle." Masuku declared. "You can both substitute at any time, and the battle's over when one trainer's Pokemon are all unable to battle." Buki and Cheren nodded together.

"Liepard, I choose you!" Cheren cried. The Cruel Pokemon purred a spine-chilling laugh that seemed to taunt his unknown opponent. Buki growled again as he threw his Pokeball.

"Go, Sawk!" The Karate Pokemon took his fighting stance. "Begin!" Masuku cried. "Fake Out!" Cheren yelled. Liepard raced forward, showing impressive speed before vanishing.

"That's one of Liepard's abilities! It can vanish and reappear at will!" Cheren said. "Now!" The Dark Type reappeared in front of Sawk, slamming its paws together. The clap sent out a shockwave that knocked Sawk back and away.

"Get back in there!" Buki ordered. "Rock Smash!" Sawk ran at the Cruel Pokemon, throwing out his fist. Liepard ducked under the attack. Its claws glowed purple and it slashed across Sawk's chest, shredding his gi. The Dark Stone dropped to the ground, emitting blue sparks and throwing up a cloud of dust.

"An Iron Ball?" Cheren asked himself. Sawk looked down at his ruined gi and stared over at Liepard. He drew in a breath and let it out. Then he flexed, and his muscles expanded in Bulk Up.

"Close Combat!" Without the Dark Stone weighing him down, Sawk vanished too. He remained unseen, even as he launched his punches and kicks at the Cruel Pokemon. Liepard was lifted up and battered by unseen hits before flying across the field. It clambered back to its feet unsteadily. Sawk blurred back into view, holding its gi closed with one hand.

"It did all this damage with one hand?" Cheren cried. Ash looked at his Pokedex. "It says Sawk doesn't like to be seen without its gi or its belt." Sawk's muscles started to deflate back to normal.

"Let's end this match." Buki declared. "Double Kick!" Sawk disappeared again, but before he could attack Cheren pulled out his Pokeball. "Return! Go, Mandibuzz! Air Slash!"

The ball opened, and a shining silhouette of a bird Pokemon appeared, flapping wings rapidly. Before the glow died buzz-saw shaped disks of wind slashed through the air, cutting into the unseen Fighting Type and throwing him back.

The light died, revealing a black-feathered vulture-like Pokemon wearing a sort of armor made of bones. Ash's Pokedex, still open, offered up information on this new fighter.

_Mandibuzz, the Bone Vulture Pokémon. Mandibuzz swoops down from the sky, attacking weakened Pokemon using its sharp, powerful claws and beak. It builds its nest out of bones it collects._

"Sawk!" Buki ran to his Pokemon, who was struggling to rise. The Karate Pokemon passed something from his hand to his trainer. It was the Dark Stone.

"_Sawk must've went for the Dark Stone before attacking. If he'd have left it, he would've finished his attack before Liepard was pulled back."_ Buki realized. The Flying Type attack put major damage on the Fighting Type, and succeeded in ripping the rest of Sawk's gi away. Buki looked around, seeing something else amiss. The white shreds of the gi were fluttering in the breeze left from Mandibuzz's wings. Then he found what he was looking for. Sawk's black belt was laying in the grass a few feet away, slashed in half.

"_Damn. Without that black belt, Sawk's attacks are weakened."_ "Sawk, return." Buki said, pulling out his Pokeball. Sawk shook his head, refusing to go back. "Sawk." He pointed at Mandibuzz and swept a hand under his throat. Buki smiled.

"I understand, partner. But if you keep going, you're gonna lose." Sawk smirked and shook his head. He pointed to some rocks, and then pointed at Ash. Or more specifically, one of his Pokeballs.

"Krokorok? What about him?" Sawk face palmed, then leapt to his feet. "So, I guess you're gonna let Sawk keep battling?" Cheren smirked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A real trainer would make him return." Buki glared at him.

"No. A _real_ trainer believes in his Pokemon! Go Sawk!" The blue Pokemon stretched his arms out in front of him, all of his rocky fingers pointing at the rocks. The muscles in his neck bulged out with his strain. His fingers started to curl, and he flipped his hands over. The rocks shot up out of the ground, floating. Sawk brought his arms back, crossing them over his chest before throwing them back out, sending the rocks streaking at Mandibuzz.

"Mandibuzz! Get out of there!" The dual type flapped her wings, rising into the air. Sawk rose his arms, directing the rocks to follow. The Stone Edge attack ended with Mandibuzz plummeting toward the ground after being hit with the super effective move. The Dark/Flying Type pulled out of it at the last second, spreading her wings wide.

"That was a pretty good tactic." Cheren complimented. Buki smiled. It slid from his face when Sawk flew past him back into the trees. "Aerial Ace. Another good tactic." Cheren smirked.

"Sawk is unable to battle!" Masuku declared sadly. "Mandibuzz wins." Buki threw his Pokeball back to Ash. "Can you get him for me?" Ash nodded and turned.

"That was cheap." Buki told the black-haired boy. "_That_ was a win." Cheren corrected. Buki shook his head. "You still don't understand anything about honor." For the first time, the confident smirk slipped away from Cheren's face, being replaced by a glare full of malice.

"Honor doesn't mean to me what it does to you." Cheren said. "Your 'Way of the Sword' always pissed me off when we were little. Let me tell you something, Buki. If you live by the sword, you _die_ by the sword."

"That's just what I mean! You don't understand!" Buki cried out. "It's not just about the sword! _Life_ is about honor! _Battles_ are about honor!" Cheren's smirk made a comeback.

"Life is about _living._ And battles are about _winning._ Now bring out your next Pokemon." He demanded. "Fine." Buki said. "I'll prove it to you. You can't live without honor, and you can't win without it either." He threw his next Pokeball.

"Let's do this! Excadrill!" The Subterrene Pokemon threw his claws into the air and called out triumphantly. "You haven't won yet!" Cheren yelled. "Mandibuzz, Bone Rush!" Mandibuzz cried out, pointing her beak at the sky. An arc of green bones appeared in the air above her. She flapped, pointing her wings at Excadrill, and the bones launched themselves.

"Iron Defense!" Excadrill crossed his arms over his body and glowed with a metallic shine. The bones crashed down on him like blades, but they only dealt a little damage apiece.

"Brave Bird!/Drill Run!" The boys cried together. Mandibuzz spread her wings wide and burst into flames. She flapped high into the air and dove for the earth, flames becoming a bright blue glow.

Excadrill looked to the sky and brought his arms up, connecting his claws to his face guard. There was a click as they snapped into place. Dust started to swirl as his body began spinning rapidly. He still shone with the light of the Iron Defense, and as he took flight the Subterrene Pokemon looked like a rocket.

"_Full power!_" The boys spoke again. The two Pokemon struck mid-air and shot past each other. Excadrill opened his body while still spinning, and Mandibuzz's energy disappeared, sending sparks out across her body.

"Metal Claw!" Excadrill's claws started to glow brighter, and he dropped at full speed while Mandibuzz was trying to recover and get back into the air. Excadrill closed the gap fast, and Mandibuzz was unable to get back in the air. She hit the ground, and when she bounced back up was when Excadrill made his move. She bounced just as he slashed his claws, sending her back to the ground. She started pushing herself back up, but slid back to the ground.

"Mandibuzz is unable to battle!" Masuku screamed. "Excadrill wins!" Cheren looked pissed as he returned his Pokemon. "Are you convinced?" Buki asked. "You can't change my beliefs so easily!" Cheren raged. "Go! Basculin!" Ash's Pokedex was glad to offer up more information.

_Basculin, the Hostile Pokémon. Basculin can be very violent and red and blue Basculin do not get along well, frequently resulting in battles._ Cheren's Basculin was the blue striped version, with slitted eyes and smooth fins.

"Basculin, let's end this quick! Aqua Jet!" The Hostile Pokemon shot forward in a burst of water. It corkscrewed, and the water began swirling. "_Yes!_ Take them down!" Cheren commanded.

"It's not happening, Cheren!" Buki declared. "Bat it out of the air! Smack Down!" Excadrill scooped up a stone and launched it at the Water Type. It sank into the water and crashed into Basculin's head, causing it to go cross-eyed, but not stopping the attack.

"Excadrill, return!" Buki called, deciding to switch out his Pokemon. "Go! Ferroseed!" The Grass/Steel Type took Excadrill's place, getting hit by the Water Type attack. The move only gave out a fourth of the normal damage due to the dual typing, and that damage was lessened even more by the constant spinning Ferroseed's body employs.

"Hmm. A Ferroseed. That's a rare Pokemon." Cheren commented. "Thanks." Buki acknowledged. "Gyro Ball!" Basculin was still close, so Ferroseed just began rotating faster. He started to glow and shot forward the few inches to make contact. Basculin was flung back.

"The slower the speed of the Pokemon, the more powerful Gyro Ball becomes! Ferroseed is the slowest Grass Type, _and_ the slowest Steel Type!" Buki said. "Now, use Energy Ball!" Ferroseed formed the green sphere of energy on the top thorn of its head. When it finished forming, the Thorn Seed Pokemon flicked its body forward, sending the attack at the still flying Water Type. The sphere impacted against the Hostile Pokemon, and it exploded, throwing up a cloud of dust.

"Flail!" Cheren called. Basculin shot out of the dust cloud. It slammed into Ferroseed, flipping around like a fish out of water. Each flop knocked Ferroseed back farther and farther, leaving a small track dug in the ground from the Thorn Seed Pokemon's bottom thorn.

"Flail is a move that's more powerful the weaker the user is! That super effective Energy Ball means Flail is at its most powerful!" Cheren declared. Ferroseed looked weak.

"Final Gambit!" Basculin sprang to life once more, glowing. It made contact with Ferroseed and the glow spread into an orb of light that engulfed both Pokemon. When it faded, both Basculin and Ferroseed were knocked out.

"Both fighters are unable to battle!" Masuku called out. The two trainers both returned their Pokemon and grabbed their next Pokeballs. "Excadrill!" "Liepard!" The Subterrene and Cruel Pokemon made their stand once more.

"Excadrill, let's use Metal Claw!" "Fake Out!" Cheren yelled. Liepard vanished and completed Fake Out for the second time in that battle. Excadrill slid back without even preparing his claws.

"Slash!" The two trainers called out together. The two Pokemon sprang at each other. Cheren made another command. "Grass Knot!" As it ran, Liepard slammed one paw harder against the ground than the others. Strands of thick grass shot out of the ground at Excadrill's feet, tripping him up. He hit the ground and Liepard was all over him with multiple Slash attacks.

"Knock it back!" Buki cried. "Metal Claw!" Excadrill unleashed a metallic backhand, sending Liepard flying. Then, Excadrill stiffened. Its pupils shrank and its head snapped around, pointing to Liepard's falling body. It snapped its claws together into Drill Form, flipped up, and landed point first on the surface of the ground. From the point of impact a crack stretched across the ground. It caused the ground to shudder as it opened under Liepard's falling form.

"Excadrill learned Fissure!" Buki exclaimed. Liepard managed to recover from the Metal Claw, grabbing the edge with its claws. Excadrill began spinning, drilling into the ground. As he spun the Fissure began to close on the Cruel Pokemon, trapping it. Excadrill disappeared into the ground. A few seconds later the Subterrene Pokemon burst from the dirt where Liepard fell, carrying the Dark Type in its metal claws.

"It's a One-Hit KO!" Masuku cried. "Liepard is unable to battle! Excadrill wins!" Cheren glared at Buki. "You managed to hit with a One-Hit KO. Who are you, _Jesus_?" Buki laughed.

"No. I'm just an honorable man." Cheren took a deep breath. "I don't think you've seen my most powerful Pokemon, have you?" He threw his last Pokeball. "Go, Serperior!"

_Serperior. The Regal Pokemon. __It can stop its opponents' movements with just a glare, but only gives its all when fighting a powerful opponent. It takes in solar energy and boosts it internally._

* * *

Ghetsis was standing in one of seven caves deep in Twist Mountain. He stood in the exact center of the mountain, and there were six other, smaller caves connected to it. Each of the other Sages stood in their own cave. There was a shaft branching from the ceiling of Ghetsis' cave shooting straight through the mountain to the top. Three shadows dropped down from the top of the chute, kneeling in front of the most powerful member of Team Plasma.

"My lord." They said together. The man in the middle stood, while the others remained bowed, showing his rank among the three. "The target is outside with the Stone. He is battling another trainer." Ghetsis smiled an evil smile. "Perfect. Send out the Grunts." The three vanished again.

"Are you sure it was wise? Mounting this operation without N's knowledge?" Asked a feminine voice from the shadows of the cave. Two girls, both about the age of Ash, Buki, and N, stepped from the darkness. One was blond, and the other had pink hair. Both were beautiful.

"Anthea, Concordia." Ghetsis sneered. "Know your place before you try and speak to me like that. This is for the good of my-Team Plasma's plans." He got close, towering over the two girls. "N isn't to know. You're aware of what will happen to you if you disobey me." He warned.

* * *

"Damn it!" Buki cried as Fissure missed for the fourth time. "Don't rely on such cheap tricks!" Cheren yelled. "He's one to talk." Masuku muttered. "Leaf Blade!" Serperior whipped its glowing tail around, catching the Subterrene Pokemon and throwing it back. Its eyes rolled back in its head.

"Excadrill is unable to battle! Serperior wins!" Masuku said. Buki returned his Pokemon and pulled out his last Pokeball. "Go, Samurott!" "_Sammmmm__!_"

"This is the final match!" Masuku called out. "Yeah! For all of you!" Screamed a voice from high up on the mountain. The four boys whirled to look for the source. They didn't see anything but rocks lining the paths along the mountain. All of a sudden, at least thirty people stood up from behind the rocks. They were spread all along the side of the mountain. The light glinted off them all, proving them to be armored Team Plasma Grunts.

"Destroy them! We've gotta get that stone!" Buki looked to his hand, still clutching the Dark Stone Sawk had given him before. "Uh-oh." The Grunts all leapt off the mountain, releasing Mandibuzzes identical to Cheren's, and Unfezant of both gender. They stayed aloft as they each released other various Pokemon to do battle with the trainers.

"Oh…damn." Masuku muttered. "Don't just stand there!" Cheren called. "Serperior, Leaf Storm!" "Samurott, Hydro Pump!" "Pikachu, Thunder!" Masuku grabbed a Pokeball. "Pignite, Flamethrower!" Some Pokemon were knocked down, but they got back up, and there were plenty. Ash's, Buki's, and Masuku's shadows stretched and warped at their feet, revealing the Shadow Triad. They rushed Buki. Each wore a leather strap around both hands with three blades connected. Two of them ganged up on Buki's sides, placing their blades at his throat, while the third, the leader, ripped the Dark Stone from Buki's hand.

"Come." He said to the others in a deep, raspy voice. They vanished into the mountain. Ash, Buki, and Masuku all stopped, paralyzed with the thought of what losing the Stone meant.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Cheren called, surrounded by enemies. They were startled into action, and started to give a command to their Pokemon, but they were interrupted.

"A better question'd be, 'What the hell 'er y'all doin' on my mountain?'" The three whirled, catching sight of Clay, the Mine King/Gym Leader of the Driftveil Gym. He was accompanied by Skyla, Leader of the Mistralton Gym.

"We saw what happened." Skyla said. "And we know what it means. So you boys go after them." She winked and hearts sprang up in Masuku's eyes. Buki slapped him. "We don't know the mountain!" He cried. Clay pulled out a Pokeball.

"Krookodile, open the passageway!" Clay's now fully-evolved Pokemon appeared and drove his claws into the rock at the ground level of the mountain's face. He ripped them apart, and loose rocks fell away, revealing a gapping hole in the wall.

"This leads ta the center o' the mountain. It slopes up gradually." Clay called. Krookodile went back to his trainer's side. "We'll hold them off here." Skyla yelled. Cheren stood beside them. "I'll see you at the Pokemon League, Buki. We'll finish our battle there." He vowed. Buki nodded, and the three boys ran into the cave.

"Follow them! We can't let them get to Lord Ghetsis!" The Grunts started for the cave, but Krookodile leapt in front of them. It growled and shook its head.

* * *

"My Lord!" The leader of the Triad cried as he dropped to the floor. "You'd better have a good reason for yelling like that. You could give away our position!" Ghetsis hissed. He calmed down when he saw what was in his Lieutenant's hand.

"The Dark Stone…" He whispered reverently. "You did well." He said to the three, now kneeling before him. "What of the Grunts?" The leader looked up. "Two Gym Leaders appeared to help in the battle." Ghetsis frowned.

"No matter." He decided. "The Grunts can hold those fools off long enough for us to escape." Almost as soon as he finished talking, the ground at his feet began to shudder. "_Go!_" He screamed to the others as he leapt away. The Triad grabbed Anthea and Concordia and vanished. Ghetsis stowed the Dark Stone in his robes as Excadrill burst through the ground where he'd been standing.

"Good job." Buki praised. He glared at Ghetsis. "I want my Stone." Ghetsis began to laugh. "Come and get it, boy." "I will." Buki vowed. Ash, Pikachu, Pignite, and Masuku climbed out of the hole and stood beside their friend.

"_We'll_ come and get it." Ghetsis began laughing again and pulled out a Pokeball. "Try it. Hydreigon!" Ash's Pokedex chirped again. "Damn." Masuku commented to Buki. "Do we need to change the batteries in ours?" His older brother elbowed him.

_Hydreigon. The Brutal Pokemon. __This Pokemon travels the skies on its six wings. Anything that moves seems like a foe to it, triggering its attack. The heads on its arms do not have brains. It uses all three heads to consume and destroy everything._

"Tri-Attack!" Ghetsis ordered. The dual type Pokemon opened all three mouths. In the main mouth, a red ball of fire formed. In the right hand mouth, a blue ball of ice formed. In the left hand mouth, a yellow ball of electricity formed.

"Fire!" The attack launched, sparks of energy connecting the three spheres. "Excadrill, return!" Buki replaced the Pokeball with another. "Samurott!" "Pignite!" "Pikachu!" The three starter Pokemon leapt in front of their trainers.

"Hydro Pump!" "Flamethrower!" "Electro Ball!" The attacks all collided in midair, cancelling each other out. Buki smirked. "Looks like we're even!" Ghetsis began laughing again, and the sound sent shivers up the three trainers' spines.

"_Even_? Fools! It took three of you to counter an attack from one Pokemon!" The boys stared at each other. "I'm far more powerful than you! I've been a trainer for thirty years! And Hydreigon was my first Pokemon." Their eyes widened. "Dragon Rush!" Hydreigon flew forward with blinding speed, glowing bright blue. It slammed into all three Pokemon at once.

"What power." Buki muttered to himself as Samurott picked himself up, wincing in pain. He began glowing blue, like the Dragon Rush rubbed off on him.

"This is gonna be tough." Masuku commented as Pignite started to glow red, struggling to stand.

"We…can't give up." Ash declared as Pikachu stood as well. Sparks flared around the Mouse Pokemon's cheeks as his ability took effect too. The Static that would paralyze Hydreigon. The Brutal Pokemon roared as sparks froze him in place.

"We've gotta do something. Fast." They looked to Buki. "Hydreigon is way to powerful for us to take on in a long battle. We've gotta try and end this _now._" Their eyes met and they had an instant plan.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" The sparks flickering across Pikachu began to glow before bursting out all across his body. However, instead of taking off at Hydreigon, Pikachu waited by his friends. Ghetsis was intrigued.

"Ready, Pignite?" Masuku asked. Pignite nodded. "Flare Blitz!" The Fire Pig Pokemon spread his arms wide, letting powerful flames break out over his fur. He waited too.

"Samurott, it's our turn." The Formidable Pokemon roared his approval. "Aqua Jet!" Samurott jumped up and corkscrewed forming the water around him into a point around his horn. "Spear Form!" The Water Type shot forward, spurring the other two into motion.

Pikachu leapt into the water, landing on Samurott's back, as Pignite jumped into the water as well. The Formidable Pokemon locked his arms and legs around the Fire Type, making sure the pig couldn't fall out. The water glowed green when the electricity touched it, and purple when the flames mixed. The three Pokemon cringed a little from the effects of the conflicting types, but stayed the course, rushing the Dark/Dragon Type.

Buki ripped his sword from his sheath and pointed it at the sky, visible from the chute, under which they stood. Masuku knelt down and got some dirt on his hands before standing back up, and Ash slid his hat around to face the back.

"Volt Spear Blitz!" They called together. The combo attack hit with the force of a cannon blast, causing a massive explosion and throwing up sparks, droplets, embers, and plenty of dust. The three starters were thrown from the blast and landed in front of their trainers, badly injured. They looked proudly at their partners until they heard the maniacal laughter of Ghetsis.

"What's he laughing at?" Masuku asked. The smoke started to clear, revealing Hydreigon's form, still floating in the air. He was badly injured as well, but the other Pokemon were far worse off.

"That was admirable." Ghetsis said, catching his breath. "But not good enough. You tried your best, but now it's time for you to go. Time for you to die." He patted Hydreigon on the flank.

"Double Team." The Brutal Pokemon seemed to smirk as it replicated around the three trainers and their Pokemon. They were surrounded, and Ghetsis knew it. You could hear the triumph in his voice as he commanded his Pokemon again.

"Draco Meteor!" Each Hydreigon opened its main mouth wide and launched an orange sphere at the crouching trainers. The spheres impacted around them, each sending ten or more blasts into the area around them. They were immediately knocked unconscious, blasted high into the air, and out of the mountain through the chute, heading for certain death. Ghetsis grinned and returned his Pokemon. He reached into his robes to clutch the Dark Stone, but found only empty air.

"What?" He cried. He entered the tunnel left by the trainers and exited the mountain to find his Grunts no longer battling the Gym Leaders/Cheren. They'd run.

"Search these woods around the mountain!" He commanded. "Find those brats!"

* * *

Buki sat bolt upright, without opening his eyes. When he _did_ open them, he was blinded by white all around him. "Ugh. Where _am_ I?" He groaned. The last thing he remembered was a circle of dragons, about to deal the death blow. Then it rushed back. Twist Mountain, Cheren, the Grunts, the Triad, and Ghetsis. _The Dark Stone!_ He hung his head in shame. How was he going to be able to stop N if he didn't have the Dark Stone? He flipped the blanket off him and slid out of the bed. He'd been placed in the single bed of a Pokemon Center room. His chest was bandaged, and he guessed bruised ribs. They were nearly healed. He was missing his mesh shirt, his kimono, his sword, and his obi. And of course, the Dark Stone. He slipped his shoes on and walked out of the room and smacked into Skyla, coming to check on him.

He clutched his ribs as he put out a hand to help her up. She looked him over, and he thought she was assessing his injuries. "Hmm…not bad." She said. "My ribs?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Right." She smirked, turned, and began to walk away.

"Wait!" He called. "Hmm?" She turned. "What happened?" "That's a story best told when everyone can hear it."

* * *

"He's awake." Skyla announced as she walked into the lobby. Buki followed, feeling weird without his shirt, but there was no one there but Ash, Clay, and Nurse Joy. Ash threw him his mesh shirt and he pulled it on over the bandages.

"Where's Masuku?" He asked. Ash looked at the floor. Nurse Joy answered. "He hasn't woken up yet." Buki checked his X-Transceiver. "We're in Icirrus City. It's been three days." He noted. "What's wrong with him?" "Follow me." Nurse Joy said. Ash, Clay, and Skyla followed closely behind the swordsman and the nurse.

* * *

"Why's he in there?" Buki asked. They had just walked through the double doors every trainer dreads. The doors with the red neon light above it, emblazoned with a syringe. The emergency ward. They were now looking into a room from behind a giant window.

"He was hit pretty hard when we were blasted." Ash explained. "He was hit directly from a couple meteors. He was trying to protect Pignite." The Fire Pig Pokemon was beside Masuku's bed, keeping a diligent watch. Pikachu was in a bed close by. Samurott was nowhere to be seen. Ash's Pokeballs were on his belt, and Masuku's were sitting on his bedside table, but Buki didn't know what happened to his partners.

"Where's Samurott?" Nurse Joy led them further down the hall to a room full of water, like at an aquarium. Various Water Type Pokemon swam around, but laying in the middle of the floor of the tank was the Formidable Pokemon, Samurott. The sight of his partner brought another memory back to him.

_It was right before the explosion. He was about to be hit by one of the original blasts, before it split. Before he could panic, Samurott was in front of him with his blades crossed in front of him, defending his trainer like he'd done for five years. But this time proved to be to much. Buki saw the blades shatter and the blast hit the Water Type in the chest before it separated, blasting Samurott with eight more hits. It fell back and a meteor flew past his falling body to strike Buki in the sternum._

Nurse Joy handed him his kimono and obi that were folded neatly on a table beside the tank. All his Pokemon were at full health, except his strongest. He looked closer at the defeated Pokemon and saw the faint glow of the Torrent surrounding his closest friend.

"He's healing with the power of the water, but it will be awhile before he'll be in fighting shape." Nurse Joy explained. Buki turned to Ash. "What about Pikachu?" The hat-wearing trainer looked back to the room his friends were recovering in.

"Pikachu was a smaller target. He dodged most of the attacks. He's been healed, but not cleared to leave the room yet. He's still sleeping a lot." Buki smiled. "That's good. I'm glad." He placed his hand on the glass of the aquarium, as if trying to send his thoughts and emotions through the thick barrier separating him from his friend. He saw his sword propped against the wall and grabbed it up.

"Where're yah goin'?" Clay asked. "I'm going back to Twist Mountain. I need to train." Skyla put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "I wouldn't advise that. Team Plasma's been searching the forest for you three."

"Why?" Ash smirked. He reached into his backpack, which sat where Buki's things had been. He pulled out a black stone that was perfectly round with no blemishes. The Dark Stone.

"Wha-How?" "It was Pikachu." Ash explained.

_The Volt Spear Blitz had just launched, and the three Pokemon came to a mental connection afforded to them by the closeness of their minds, bodies, and spirits._

"_Pikachu." It was a gruff, but kind adult voice that spoke from within the Mouse Pokemon's mind. "Samurott?" Pikachu's voice was the voice of a teenaged boy. "Yes." "Pignite too." Spoke up a younger, more childlike male voice. _

"_What is this?" Pikachu asked. "A connection of the minds. We have to retrieve the Dark Stone. Can you feel its power?" Samurott asked. "Of course." "You have to get it back. We aren't fast enough, or small enough to get past Hydreigon and swipe it." Pignite explained._

"_But if I separate from you, how do you know the attack will finish Hydreigon?" Pikachu asked. "We don't." Samurott said. "It's a chance that has to be taken." Pikachu was hesitant, but they were running out of time. The Electric Type could feel that if he was going to do this, he'd have to jump right as the point of the spear touched the Brutal Pokemon. The explosion would hide his maneuver._

"_You have to do it." Pignite said. "It's the only way to get it back." Pikachu nodded. "I'll do it." "_Now_!" The three voices shouted together. The spear blasted Hydreigon just as Pikachu jumped from the attack. He flipped over the fighters as the power of their move launched him higher. He hit the ground and used Agility to flash past Ghetsis and grab the Dark Stone. He jumped back into the aftermath of their attack and was thrown back with Samurott and Pignite. The Stone rolled to Ash, who only had time to subtly put it in his bag before they were surrounded._

"I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm glad it did." Ash said, proud of his best friend. Skyla took over the story.

_Skyla and Clay were soaring over Twist Mountain on Swanna's back, trying to spot Ash, Buki, and Masuku to see if they could help. Cheren took off in the opposite direction. Just as the Leaders reached the hollow peak, it erupted, sending rock, smoke, and trainers into the air. Skyla brought out her other two Pokemon to grab the trainers, who had managed to return their Pokemon to their balls before they lost consciousness. Except Pikachu, who was caught by Clay. The three Flying Types rocketed through the rest of the forest and into Icirrus City. They alighted in front of the Pokemon Center and were met by the Gym Leader, Brycen, who was riding on the back of his Cryogonal. He dispatched Nurse Joy to close the Pokemon Center, so if Team Plasma came into the city they wouldn't be able to find the three trainers. He took all the patients and a few of Nurse Joy's Audino back to the Gym to serve as the temporary Pokemon Center._

"And so, here we are." Skyla said. Clay started to speak next. "I've gotten word from my workers in Twist Mountain. That Ghetsis fella said they was only gonna search the woods for a little while longer. They'll be in the city very soon I 'magine."

"No they won't." Buki said. "They'll want to be discrete about what's going on at Dragonspiral Tower." At the Gym Leaders' blank looks Buki explained. "N, Team Plasma's King, is going to Dragonspiral Tower. That's where he'll resurrect Reshiram." The Leaders looked very troubled.

"Brycen needs to know." Skyla said. She started up, but Clay waved her back down. "We can't leave till these kids're all healed up. There's Grunts already in the city, and we can't be drawin' attention by battlin' in the streets."

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

Masuku's eyelids fluttered as he began to return to the world of reality and away from the dreams. He sat up and looked around, somehow knowing he was in a Pokemon Center. He saw Pignite asleep beside the bed, slumped against the nightstand. He smiled, grabbed his partner's Pokeball, and returned the Fire Pig to it. He stood up, feeling a little weak. He slid his stomach band back on and put Pignite's Pokeball in its rightful place. He found some medical tape and re-bandaged his arms before walking out to the hall. His eyes were drawn down to the window that glowed blue with water. His brother stood outside it, watching whatever was inside. He was so engrossed that his normally sharp senses didn't pick up on his brother behind him.

"Buki?" He put a hand on his brother's shoulder when he saw what was in the tank. "It's good that you're awake, Masuku. Tell me, think you're ready for a battle?"

* * *

"Here's the plan." Skyla decided. This was the last day she would be in Icirrus. She had duties at the Gym. Clay had gone the day before. "The Grunts are getting suspicious of the Pokemon Center. The three of you are gonna pretend to sneak to the Gym to battle Brycen. Thanks to Buki and his X-Transceiver, he already knows you're coming. We've heard from Clay's workers that the Grunts are under orders to report to N at Dragonspiral Tower once they know where you are. They're to back him up for when you go to the Tower." She looked at Buki.

"Apparently, you're the only one who can go to the top. You won't even be stopped." He nodded. "Once you're in the Gym, go ahead and battle Brycen. You're gonna need practice. When you get into the Tower, go straight for the top. Zekrom will respond to Reshiram and appear for you if N's already summoned him. If he hasn't, stop him there. If he has, end the battle quickly. You have to, for the sake of everyone."

She shook their hands and gave all three of them a kiss on the cheek for good luck. The situation was so serious that Buki didn't even have to snap his brother out of any kind of stupor. Masuku was all business.

"I've gotta go soon, but I'll see you off. I wish you the best. And even though you're supposed to go to the Gym for show, Brycen won't go easy on you. Watch out. He's strong." The boys nodded and stepped up to the doors of the Center.

"I'm opening the doors." Skyla said. The automatic doors slid open. The three boys took the deepest breaths they'd ever taken and raced out into the snowy Icirrus City.

* * *

**PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**There you go. Chapter Eighteen. I wasn't sure how I was gonna write our heroes through Twist Mountain, because of the massive size of the mountains in the games and the anime. However, I think I did alright. Now, next time, we'll see Ash, Buki, and Masuku take on Brycen to achieve their seventh Badge. Then, it's on to Dragonspiral Tower to witness the rebirth of the Legendary Dragon Pokemon. Will their battle with N stop there, or is it just beginning? We're nearing the end, and I think I'll be sad. This has been one of my favorite fics to write. Which is what brings me to my next point.**

**When this story comes to a close, it will leave behind two sequels. The first will be called 'Pokemon: A True Master's Quest' And it will be about the Champion League. I've decided that there will be trainers represented. All five Champions: Lance, Steven, Wallace, Cynthia, and Alder. They will each bring two members of their Elite Four, and a trainer from each of the five regions that has participated in all five Leagues. Ash and Buki will be featured in this fic as the representatives from Kanto and Unova. I have a Hoenn rep as well. I need two OCs. A Johto rep, and a Sinnoh rep. I need names, personalities, appearances, and a full team. Six Pokemon. This will be another full-length fic.**

**The second sequel will be titled 'Pokemon The Movie: Giant Chasm and the Disbanded Project.' The first chapter of this will be posted after the first chapter of P:ATMQ, and will take place at the same time. This is Masuku centric and he is going to be joined by Bianca and Cheren, (still a thought in the planning stages) which will make the story interesting. I don't want to give anything else away for now, except that this will only be a few chapters due to it being a movie.**

**Finally, I want to address something I've been thinking of for sometime. Battle themes for our main characters, and for the fic in general. **

**The whole trilogy of fics will be themed by the song 'For the Love of the Game' by Pillar, because Ash, Buki, and Masuku are fighting N because they love Pokemon, and battling. And because to us, it's a game.**

**Ash's battle theme will be the full version of the original Pokemon Theme, because even after all these years Ash's mind still hasn't changed. He wants to be the very best like no one ever was.**

**Buki's battle theme will be New Divide by Linkin Park because I feel like it's a song looking back to Buki first seeing Zekrom, remembering black skies, with the lightning all around him, and a look into the future battle with Reshiram, nothing in sight but memories left abandoned, nowhere to hide, the ashes falling like snow.**

**Masuku's battle theme will be Reckless Youth by Pillar, because that's what Masuku is. A Reckless Youth.**

**The three battling together will be Phenomenon by Thousand Foot Krutch, because their battles together are, simply put, a Phenomenon.**

**N's battle theme is Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against, not because of anything N does per say, but because of the Pokemon Ghetsis put with him during his childhood. The things the song talks about are the things the Pokemon went through, which motivates him to follow Ghetsis' plan and try to tear everything apart so humans and Pokemon are separate.**

**Ja Nae everybody.**

**New Note: The Pokemon Movie idea has been scrapped and I'm planning another sequel to this Fic, called simply Pokemon: Best Wishes 2. It will focus on Masuku's travels through the new Unova region with Nate and Rosa. The P:ARMQ will still happen though.**


	19. The Freeze Badge and Dragonspiral Tower

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

* * *

**So, it's been awhile since my last update. I apologize for that, but I had more computer troubles. Last time we saw Ash, Buki, and Masuku try and make the trek through Twist Mountain. However, they are interrupted. First by Cheren, Buki's old friend/rival, and then by Team Plasma. The Dark Stone is stolen by the Shadow Triad, forcing our three heroes to give chase. They arrive in the middle chamber of the mountain, face-to-face with Ghetsis, leader of the Seven Sages. After witnessing the man's battle prowess, Ghetsis sends our heroes on a trip through the mountain's chute, defeating them and leaving them with injuries that leave them out of commission. They awake in the Icirrus City Pokemon Center to find that three days have passed. Buki is distressed when he learns that his partner was grievously injured in the fight, and won't be able to battle with him for a short while. A plan is concocted, and the three set off for a diversionary battle with Icirrus's Gym Leader, Brycen. Can Buki fare without his most powerful partner?**

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**Chapter Nineteen: The Freeze Badge and Dragonspiral Tower**

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The boys raced across the snowy ground, but there was no need. There didn't seem to be anyone out in the streets, probably from the Team Plasma presence in the city. They made it to the Gym without incident. The building was set into the rock wall that ran along one edge of the city. They stepped in, entering an entryway that was guarded by Clyde, the man from the other Gyms.

"I know all about your plan from Brycen." He whispered. "I ask that you stay quiet and continue along the passage. Keep moving past all the rooms. There are patients from the Pokemon Center. At the end of the corridor is the Gym's battlefield."

The boys nodded and walked down the hall. Soon, they entered a room that was completely dark, and completely cold. The lights snapped on, blinding them. The Gym was set up like a hockey rink, but inside the lines that formed the field, icy rocks protruded from the ground. The Gym Leader, Brycen, stood in the center of the field.

"Welcome to my Gym, challengers. I know all about your quest to stop Team Plasma, and I wish you the best." Brycen was a tall, thin, muscular man. He had light blue hair that slicked back and spiked out at his neck. He wore a dark blue mask that was tied long in the back with an even darker blue ribbon. His clothing consisted of a one-sleeved blue robe with various ice-colored diamonds on the sleeve, and around the bottom cuff. Half-length black pants led to his knees and light blue kung-fu shoes covered his feet.

"However, I can't allow myself to go easy on you." He drew three Pokeballs. Before he could say anything else, Masuku was latched to his waist. "My god, I'm your biggest fan!" Brycen looked down uncomfortably, and Buki pulled his brother away.

"Wait!" Masuku called back. "Can I have your autograph?!" Ash didn't understand what Masuku was freaking out about until he looked at the walls around the Gym. They were covered in movie posters, all featuring Brycen. Suddenly, Ash recognized the Leader as well.

"Wow. I remember watching your movies. _Freeze, Beartic_ is my favorite movie, ever." Brycen looked taken aback. "I didn't realize anyone still watched my movies." He sounded somber. Buki looked puzzled.

"Why'd you quit making movies? You were really good." Brycen looked away. "There was an accident on set. It wasn't my fault, but it could've been avoided if I'd trained better. Right after that, I quit the movies and went into the mountains. I trained for years before coming back, and then became this city's Gym Leader. But enough about that. It's time for battle!" He threw his Pokeballs.

"Go, Vanillish!" The ice-cream cone-shaped Pokemon levitated, looking content. "Cryogonal!" The strange and angry looking Crystallizing Pokemon floated next to the Icy Snow Pokemon. "Beartic!" Finally, Brycen's strongest Pokemon, and the one that starred in so many movies with him, stood in between the floating Pokemon, towering over them with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Who will be my first opponent?" Ash looked at the others before stepping up. "I will." Brycen nodded.

* * *

"The Gym battle between the Leader, Brycen, and the challenger, Ash, will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokemon, with only the challenger aloud to make substitutions! Trainers ready?" The two nodded. "Begin!" The two trainers threw their Pokeballs together.

"I choose you, Primeape!" "Go, Vanillish!" The Icy Snow Pokemon and the Pig Monkey Pokemon faced off, Vanillish floating serenely with a smile on its face, Primeape glaring heavily, trying to intimidate.

"Vanillish, Icicle Spear!" Vanillish pointed the lower half of its body at the Fighting Type and started to glow light blue. Then the Ice Type spun around and fired multiple icicles from the bottom of its body. Primeape went on the defensive, ducking and weaving, and lashing out with his covered fists whenever he was in danger of a hit.

"Primeape, get 'em back with Cross Chop!" Ash called to his Pokemon. Primeape kept dodging the spears, systematically drawing closer to the Icy Snow Pokemon. He leapt high, clearing the spear spray, and crossed his arms. His paws glowed and he came down on the Ice Type, a paw on either side of its face. He drove the smaller Pokemon into the ground before jumping back. As his feet hit the icy field, he slid and crashed into one of the rocks jutting from the ground, giving Vanillish time to get up.

"Avalanche!" Brycen demanded, taking advantage of the situation. Vanillish started to glow, and it launched a fierce blast of snow that dropped down on Primeape. The Pig Monkey Pokemon was completely buried. Ash prepared to run onto the field, but slipped himself, falling.

"Primeape!" He called out. "Close Combat!" He could just barely hear Primeape's angry shrieks, but then they stopped. Ash feared the worst, but the Avalanche began to quake. Primeape exploded through the top of the attack, fists moving so fast they blurred. He rose straight for the Icy Snow Pokemon, colliding his powerful Close Combat attack with the Ice Type's frozen body. Primeape dropped back to the ground, keeping his footing this time. Vanillite crashed into one of the rocks, breaking it to pieces.

"Vanillite is unable to battle! Primeape wins!" The referee called out as Brycen returned his fallen Pokemon. "That was an excellent tactic, using your Close Combat to both escape my Avalanche and to deal super effective damage." He hefted another Pokeball. "Cryogonal, I request help!" The ball popped open, revealing the Crystallizing Pokemon once more.

_Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokemon. When this Pokemon's body temperature rises, it turns into steam and vanishes. When it's temperature lowers, it returns to ice. They use chains made of crystals to capture prey._

"Cryogonal, Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal formed chains of ice that trailed from its mouth before spinning its body, looking like a blue tornado. It raced across the ice, using it to propel itself faster and faster. It crashed into Primeape, sending it flying.

"That Close Combat weakened your Primeape's defenses!" Brycen said. "Use Icy Wind!" Cryogonal's body glowed, and a wind blew across the field, full of little blue sparkles. The wind washed over the Pig Monkey Pokemon, freezing its legs to the field as it stood.

"Rapid Spin, once more!" The Icy Wind made it possible for Cryogonal to keep hitting Primeape with its ice chains until the ice holding the Fighting Type's legs shattered. Primeape was thrown across the field, slamming into the boards around the rink.

"Primeape is unable to battle, Cryogonal wins!" Ash looked dejected that Primeape didn't last as long in this match. He still thought the Pig Monkey Pokemon did a fantastic job, and made sure to tell him so. He pulled out his next Pokeball.

"Go, Krokorok!" The Desert Croc Pokemon crossed his arms and glanced at Cryogonal over the top of his recently repaired glasses. "Ash, you idiot!" Masuku yelled from the sidelines. "Ground Types are _weak_ to Ice Types!" Ash smiled. "Are we gonna let that stop us?" Krokorok shook his head.

"Use Beat Up!" Ash called out. Krokorok's fists started to glow purple and he started running at the floating Crystallizing Pokemon. The Ground Type's feet started to slide, and he began to lose his balance. Brycen took full advantage.

"Ice Beam!" Cryogonal formed a light blue ball in front of its mouth that fired off multiple beams at the stumbling Pokemon. Ash's eyes snapped from the beam, to Krokorok's legs, to the rock underneath Cryogonal, formulating a plan.

"Krokorok, slide!" The Ground Type's eyebrows furrowed, but he went ahead and let himself fall back, ducking under the beams. His feet hit the rock, propelling him into the air, where he unleashed five quick punches with his Beat Up attack. Cryogonal floated back, out of the Desert Croc's reach. Krokorok stood still to keep from slipping.

"That was a good tactic, Ash. Krokorok was able to completely dodge Cryogonal's Ice Beam." Ash smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, Brycen. Krokorok! Use Stone Edge!" Krokorok rose its arms into the air and it began to shine white. The white energy came off Krokorok's body and formed into two rings of pointed white energy orbs that orbited around its body. The white light faded and the orbs formed into gray rocks.

"Fire!" Krokorok brought his arms down, pointing at Cryogonal. The stones launched, crashing against the Crystallizing Pokemon's hard, icy body. When the smoke cleared, the Ice Type floated a little closer to the ground, clearly weakened. Brycen nodded. "That was a good shot."

"Krokorok, let's follow up with Thrash!" Krokorok's hands and feet started glowing as he ran at Cryogonal for the second time. "Ice Beam!" Brycen commanded. "Slide!" Ash called. Krokorok slipped, racing along the ice on his back. "Nice try, Ash. But we won't be fooled by that again! Follow it!" Cryogonal shifted its position, firing the Ice Beam along the ground.

"Use the Thrash to dodge!" Krokorok slammed his hands into the icy field floor as he neared the Ice Beam. He flipped back, landing on his feet in the place he slid from. He slipped, falling to the floor. His left leg and tail were covered in ice, leaving Krokorok in a less evasive position. Ash pulled out the Desert Croc's Pokeball.

"Krokorok, return!" The red beam of light brought the Ground Type back to the safety of the ball. "Ready, Pikachu?" "Pi Pika!" The Mouse Pokemon cried, jumping to the spot where Krokorok stood previously.

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu cried out his name, firing the massive electrical shock at the Crystallizing Pokemon. "Take the hit, and use Bind!" Brycen called out. The shock hit Cryogonal, but the Ice Type extended its ice chains and snagged Pikachu. "Now, Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal whirled again, this time drawing Pikachu toward itself as the chains wound around it.

"Pikachu, use Thunder!" Pikachu unleashed a more powerful blast than before, but it hit the spinning Pokemon and shot off in multiple directions. Buki and Masuku hit the dirt as a stray bolt demolished the boards that were supposed to protect them, and Ash leapt to the side as a bolt focused on his previous position.

Pikachu hit Cryogonal, and the Crystallizing Pokemon released him from Bind. The Electric Type was thrown all the way across the field, and was about to crash into the boards behind his trainer.

"Agility!" Pikachu landed on the boards with his feet, springing off and shooting from rock to rock, icy ground increasing his speed even more. Cryogonal continuously rotated its body, always keeping the Electric Type in its sights. Or so it thought…

"Thunder Punch!" Ash cried. The Mouse Pokemon appeared behind Cryogonal, proving that the head of the blur that everyone _thought _was Pikachu was really an after-image. Pikachu's oversized glove of electricity slammed into Cryogonal's back, sending it flying into the icy ground. Pikachu stood still, thinking the fight over, but Cryogonal forced itself to float again.

"Recover." Brycen said calmly. Bright light shone around the Crystallizing Pokemon, healing it. "Now, Ice Beam." Cryogonal fired the beam for the third time, this time aimed at the Electric Type.

"Agility, once more!" Pikachu blurred again, flashing across the ice like he'd been doing it all his life. He dodged the Ice Beam, picking up more speed as he continued to move. "Ash!" Buki called from the sidelines. He and Masuku had finally found it safe enough to rise back up. "Recover can't heal a Pokemon completely! If you can hit it with an Iron Tail, Cryogonal should be finished!"

"You heard him, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" "Sheer Cold, Cryogonal!" Brycen called his trump. Pikachu appeared in front of the Crystallizing Pokemon just as it leaned back, as if inhaling deeply. Pikachu whirled as his tail turned to metal. It made contact and smoke covered the field. When it cleared, Cryogonal lay on the ground, knocked out, and an ice statue of Pikachu, mid-Iron Tail, sat beside it.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" The referee called out. Brycen recalled Cryogonal, praising its hard work, as Ash hefted Pikachu over to Buki and Masuku. Brycen came over as well.

"Here. Ice Heal will unfreeze Pikachu, and he should be fine." Ash gave Buki the job of spraying his Pokemon and turned back to the field. As he walked away, he heard Masuku's exasperated shout.

"This is taking too long! Go, Pignite! Ember!" Ash heard Buki shout, and stifled a laugh. He once more stood opposite Brycen, both holding their last Pokeballs. "This has been an amazing battle, Ash, but can you withstand the might of my most powerful Pokemon?! Go, Beartic!" The Freezing Pokemon roared loudly, echoing across the entire field.

_Beartic, the Freezing Pokemon. It can make its breath freeze at will to create fangs and claws to fight with. Very able in the water, it swims around in northern seas to catch prey._

"Let's go, Krokorok!" The Desert Croc Pokemon appeared again, struggling to stand with his ice-covered leg. "You ok to battle?" Ash asked. Krokorok looked at his trainer incredulously, nodding vigorously. Ash smiled. "Alright then. Let's do this!"

"Your Krokorok is very determined. I respect that, but I'll have to rip that determination away from you! Beartic, Aqua Jet!" The polar-bear Pokemon jumped up, water surrounding him as he flew forward. Krokorok attempted to dodge, but began sliding again. The Ice Type hit him full force, throwing him back.

"Damn." Ash muttered. "We have to get rid of that ice around Krokorok's leg." Ash's eyes widened as Krokorok got back to his feet. The Desert Croc Pokemon wasn't wearing his sunglasses. He looked around and saw Beartic, who waved them smugly before putting them on. Krokorok's eyes widened, the Pokemon losing his cool personality as Anger Point activated. He began to glow red, glaring at the Freezing Pokemon. He leapt up, landing hard in a crouch that shattered the ice around his leg, and shook the ground. Earthquake.

The force of the shaking ground caused extreme stress on the ice across the field. Cracks appeared, rapidly spreading across the ground, linking to the rocks poking out. Soon, the only solid ice was in chunks across the field, and by moving on the cracks, Krokorok would no longer be hindered.

"Yes! Go, Krokorok!" The Desert Croc began to shake before taking off at a run. He followed the cracks, zigzagging across the field. His hands and feet were glowing again, and it was only a matter of time before he moved in for the kill. Brycen smiled.

"It's uncontrollable anger like that which causes the downfall of a hero." Ash smiled too. "Well, that may be, but me and Krokorok are gonna keep getting up no matter how many times we fall." Brycen nodded. "I expect nothing less." He grew serious again.

"Answer their Thrash with your own!" Beartic's extremities also began glowing, and the Freezing Pokemon began to run as well, on all fours. Beartic, being an Ice Type, skipped the marathon and cut straight through the middle of the field at Krokorok. The two met, trading blows that made all the trainers but Brycen flinch. The final hit belonged to Beartic, who knocked Krokorok flat.

"Krokorok, you've gotta get up!" The still-glowing Ground Type sprang up, striking a fist across Beartic's jaw, sending the Freezing Pokemon sprawling. Krokorok plucked his glasses from Beartic's face, glaring down at the Ice Type as he put them back on.

"Icy Wind!" Brycen called. Beartic opened its mouth wide, unleashing the freezing wind. Krokorok was blasted back, knocked airborne by the super effective attack. "Krokorok, use Sandstorm to stay in the air!" The Desert Croc flipped over, crossed its arms, and spread them wide, sending a column of sand bursting into the ice. Krokorok was launched even higher into the air, on a crash course to the Freezing Pokemon, Beartic!

"It seems like this match may be mine. Beartic! Use Superpower!" Beartic began to glow and threw a punch at the rapidly descending Ground Type. At the last second, Krokorok's hands grasped Beartic's wrist. Krokorok used his momentum to flip over the Freezing Pokemon, pulling Beartic with it. The Ice Type landed with a tremendous crash, signaling the end of the battle.

"Beartic is unable to battle! Krokorok wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Ash walked to the sidelines while Brycen and the referee called out Pokemon to re-freeze the field. Masuku slapped hands with the hat-wearing trainer as he took the field.

"That was a good match." Buki commented. Ash grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "I have no idea what Krokorok did to finish the battle." Buki laughed. "Same old Ash. That was Foul Play. It uses the Attack of the opponent against it."

* * *

"The battle between Brycen, the Icirrus City Gym Leader, and Masuku, the challenger from Driftveil City, will now begin! The rules from the earlier match apply here as well. Are both trainers ready?" The referee asked. The two nodded, all business. "Then…_begin_!" Both pulled out a Pokeball.

"Go, Scraggy!" "Cryogonal!" Scraggy appeared from his Pokeball and immediately pulled up the baggy skin around his knees to ward off the cold. "I know it's cold in here, Scraggy, but do you think you can battle?" Scraggy dropped his pants and glared at the floating Ice Type. He nodded. Brycen took the first move. "Icy Wind!" Cryogonal 'inhaled,' and breathed the frosty breath at the Shedding Pokemon. Scraggy pulled the skin up again, the attack doing no damage.

"Good job, Scraggy!" Masuku called out. "Hi Jump Kick!" The Shedding Pokemon ran forward, baggy skin keeping him from sliding or falling. When he was close, he jumped, landing directly underneath the Crystallizing Pokemon. When Cryogonal's body tilted down to look at Scraggy, the dual type jumped again, knee glowing. The powerful attack slammed into the perfect middle of the Ice Type's body, landing right on the crack that ran through the middle. The impact caused both sides of the crack to chip, sending sparkling ice particles into the air. Cryogonal floated back, sending up more particles.

"Rock Climb!" Masuku yelled. Scraggy hit his palms against the ice, causing a rock pillar to burst out of the frozen ground, crashing into Cryogonal and sending it high atop it, and sending more particles flying. Scraggy rushed up the slope, leaping the last few feet to deliver a powerful kick with both feet that sent the Crystallizing Pokemon over the edge, and also propelling Scraggy over.

"Great drop kick, Scraggy! Now use Brick Break!" Scraggy somersaulted, arm glowing, ready to hit again. "Cryogonal, Bind, then Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal shot ice chains from its mouth that cocooned the Shedding Pokemon. Only his head was uncovered. Cryogonal began to rotate at an amazing speed, reeling the Dark/Fighting Type into the spinning Pokemon's trap. They hit the ground together, Scraggy taking a lot of damage. Cryogonal's combo had the added effect of negating nearly all the damage that impacting with the ground would've had.

Cryogonal floated up from the crater it had created, Scraggy still dangling from its chains. "Use Payback!" Scraggy's eyes glowed purple before the energy spread over his whole body, shining through the chains. This caused the chains to emit an ethereal glow before the energy blasted outward, freeing the Shedding Pokemon from Cryogonal's grasp. Scraggy quickly put distance between himself and the Crystallizing Pokemon.

"Ice Shard!" Brycen commanded. Cryogonal began to glow, along with the particles of its ice body that floated overhead. They began to fuse together, packing into broken points of ice. The shards shot at Scraggy, intending to skewer the cute Shedding Pokemon.

"Use Rock Climb again! This time to dodge!" Masuku called out. Scraggy placed his hands on the ground again, bringing the pillar shooting up underneath himself. The shards impacted against the rock, freezing parts of it but doing no real damage.

"Focus Punch!" Scraggy jumped off the pillar, fist glowing. "Intercept with Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal formed more chains before rotating violently and rocketing to meet the Fighting Type. And meet they did. A colossal smoke cloud obscured the two for an instant before Scraggy flew out. He had hit Cryogonal, rotated all the way around, and was shot out of the cloud. He was yelling in amusement, enjoying the ride. Masuku laughed as he outstretched his arms, catching the small Pokemon. Cryogonal didn't come out of the smoke.

"Cryogonal is unable to battle! Scraggy wins!" Brycen brought the Crystallizing Pokemon back, throwing his next Pokeball. "Go, Vanillish!" The Icy Snow Pokemon appeared, floating like the Pokemon that came before it. Scraggy jumped down from Masuku's arms, ready to fight again.

"Scraggy, use Headbutt!" The Shedding Pokemon ran as fast as his baggy pants would allow, leaping up and striking his head against the Ice Type. It moved back significantly farther then Cryogonal had. Masuku slapped his head.

"I totally forgot that Scraggy's ability is Moxie!" Ash laughed and Buki bristled. "Idiot! How could you forget your Pokemon's ability?" "It doesn't matter what kind of attack boost your Scraggy has gotten. This is its final battle today!" Brycen vowed. "Blizzard!" Vanillish opened its mouth, which began to glow blue. It inhaled, and then breathed the blizzard at Scraggy.

"Rock Climb!" Scraggy, for the third time, rose a rock pillar from the icy ground. It was the second time he was the one on top of it. "That won't work this time!" Brycen called. The Blizzard hit the pillar, freezing it completely. The ice caused the rock to shatter, sending Scraggy tumbling.

"Scraggy, jump from rock to rock! We've gotta get close to Vanillish!" Scraggy did what his trainer said, leaping from frozen stone to frozen stone, until he lands the wrong way. His foot slips, and Scraggy falls once more.

"Move in with Ice Beam! Let's finish this up!" Brycen commands. Vanillish fires the beam, and Scraggy does some quick thinking. He grabs one of the rock chunks behind him and brings it around into the path of the Ice Beam. He pushes off of it, now with a clear shot at the Icy Snow Pokemon.

"Great! Headbutt!" But instead of just crashing his head into the Ice Type, Scraggy began to glow blue before impacting. He drove both of them into the ground, making another crater. Scraggy stumbled out of the smoke after taking heavy recoil damage from the attack. "Sweet! Scraggy learned Head Smash."

"Vanillish is unable to battle! Scraggy wins!" Brycen returned his second Pokemon, and sent out his third. "Go, Beartic!" The Freezing Pokemon growled, but Scraggy's confidence was through the roof. So was his trainer's. "Fantastic! Let's make it three for three! Head Smash!" "You moron!" Buki called out. "Head Smash does _serious_ damage to the user! You may've just knocked Scraggy out!" But it was too late.

Scraggy was flying through the air again, head first. Beartic side-stepped and Scraggy shot right past him, busting through the boards behind Brycen. "No!" Masuku exclaimed. Scraggy groaned as he drug himself back onto the field, the ice feeling good on his sore head.

"Beartic, Superpower." The Ice Type grinned as he began to glow blue. One hand reached out and picked Scraggy up, then threw him into the air. As he came down, the other hand snapped out, punching him all the way across the field to skid to a stop in front of his trainer.

"Scraggy is unable to battle! Beartic wins!" Masuku looked down at his bruised partner before returning him to his Pokeball. "That was my bad, buddy. I'll make it up to you after this, ok?" He pulled his second Pokeball from under his stomach band. "We'll end it here, right Timburr?!" He cried, throwing the Pokeball. The Muscular Pokemon appeared, nodding. He hefted his beam and let it drop down onto his shoulder.

"Rock Throw!" Timburr lifted the beam again, dropping the end onto one of the rocks that stuck out of the ice. The rock shattered, sending pieces up into the air. Timburr pulled his beam up, whirled around, and used the beam like a bat to launch the frozen projectiles at the bear-like Pokemon.

"Thrash!" Beartic's paws glowed and it punched the rocks away. "You'll have to do better." Brycen said. "Slash!" Beartic breathed arctic air onto its paws, giving it wicked ice claws. It ran on all fours, scoring gashes in the ice from the claws.

"Vault over it, then use Rock Slide!" Timburr hefted his beam in both hands, running to meet the Freezing Pokemon. He drove the end into the ice, hitting a rock. He was lifted off the ground and he vaulted over the bear-like Ice Type. At the apex of his vault, Timburr threw his beam at the ceiling. It flew end over end until it crashed into the ceiling, bringing tons of rubble down onto Beartic. Timburr caught his beam as it fell back to earth.

"Superpower!" Brycen called. The rubble shifted and Beartic roared. The glowing polar bear went for a punch, enhanced by the ice claws. Timburr just barely got his beam up in time. There was a cracking noise as Beartic's glowing fist shattered the beam, crashing into the Muscular Pokemon's face.

"Timburr!" The small Pokemon cried as it fell back, face contorted in pain. "Timburr!" Masuku worried. The Fighting Type stood back up shakily, using his now useless beam as a support. He glared up at the much larger foe.

"We can do this! Show them our power, Timburr! Use Dynamic Punch!" Timburr jumped up onto his beams, using them as stilts to leap higher and thrust his glowing hand into Beartic's face, mimicking the attack he took earlier. Beartic stumbled back, paws over its face. When its paws lowered there were dark purple rings around its eyes.

"Yeah! Beartic's been confused!" Masuku exclaimed as Beartic fell to all fours and began slamming its head into the icy ground. "Beartic, snap out of it." Brycen commanded. "Remember our mountain training!" Beartic looked over at Timburr, eyes clear once more. "Good! Now, use Slash, and follow up with Brine to end this match!" Beartic breathed more frozen breath onto his claws, making them even bigger than before. Instead of running across the ice, the Freezing Pokemon showed great agility by leaping the distance between the two, upper-cutting and scoring his frozen claws across the Muscular Pokemon's chest. Timburr was thrown into the air. Beartic inhaled before launching a jet of glowing water that knocked Timburr out of the sky.

"Timburr is unable to battle! Beartic wins!" "Return, Timburr." Masuku looked down at the Pokeball in his right hand. "You did really well. We'll finish up quick." The threw his last Pokeball. "Pignite, let's handle this!" The Fire Pig Pokemon flexed, blowing embers from his snout.

"This is the final match." Brycen commented. "It's gonna be a good one!" Masuku vowed. "In fact, I assure you. Pignite, use Assurance!" Pignite's hands glowed purple and the dual type rushed in, slamming both palms against Beartic's belly. The Freezing Pokemon bowled over, laying on the ice.

"Get up and use Aqua Jet!" From its place against the ice Beartic used the move, blasting off the ground and hitting Pignite close-up. "Pignite!" Masuku cried. "You ok?" "Pig, pig!" "Then hit 'em with Flamethrower!" "Brine!" Brycen commanded. Both Pokemon unleashed their conflicting attacks together, and the result was a brilliant collision that led to the Gym filling with mist.

"Icicle Crash!" Large icicles started to rain down on top of Pignite, the Fire Type barely dodging. "Nitro Charge!" Pignite stomped the ground, lighting himself on fire. He leaped straight up, burning through the icicles and bursting through the mist. He was headed straight for Beartic, who was coming down from his attack.

"Get past it!" Brycen called. Beartic, in a show of excellent grace, spun, missing Pignite's attack completely. "That works for us just as well!" Masuku revealed. "Pignite, go directly from Nitro Charge into Heat Crash!" Pignite nodded, spreading his arms and legs wide. The flames around him grew in intensity and size until he was suspended in an orb of dark red flames, falling straight for Beartic.

"Move!" Brycen yelled. Beartic landed, trying to escape from the falling Fire Pig. But Pignite drew his arms and legs in, falling like a cannonball and becoming aerodynamic. He crashed into the Freezing Pokemon just as Brycen made another command.

"Endure!" Beartic threw its arms up, Pignite crashing down onto them. The heat from the attack began to melt the ice at Beartic's feet, causing them to begin to sink a little. "Flare Blitz!" Masuku called. The intense flames around Pignite flashed and turned bright blue, driving Beartic to its knees and closer to the ground. Finally, Pignite broke past Beartic, landing behind the Freezing Pokemon in a crouch. Dark red sparks burst out across the Fire Pig's body, making him cringe as he lost health as well.

"Valiant effort, but with Beartic's Endure, you haven't won yet! Thrash!" Beartic whirled, hands glowing, and landed several hits against the dual type's unprotected back. Pignite stumbled forward, falling to his knees.

"Pignite!" Masuku called, worried about his partner. A red glow surrounded Pignite as his ability activated. Blaze. Pignite looked to his partner, nodding that he could continue. Masuku smiled at his friend's resilience before taking advantage of the ability.

"Flamethrower!" Pignite spewed a blast of fire hotter and brighter than any he'd released before. "Brine!" Brycen countered. The attacks met in the middle of the two attackers and were evenly matched for an instant. Then the flames pushed the water back.

"Endure!" Brycen commanded as the flames washed over the Ice Type. Beartic crossed its arms in a defensive position over its chest, but still screamed, taking damage from the souped up attack. Flames licked the Freezing Pokemon all around, so Beartic was left immobile for a few precious seconds.

"Pignite, finish our fight with your Fire Thrust!" Flames crackled to life on Pignite's hands, taking the form of a large, three-fingered hand. The glow that was Blaze faded from Pignite's body, transferring to the fire that covered the Fighting Type's hands. Pignite ran in, flames from the Flamethrower not effecting him as he slammed both hands into Beartic's stomach. The Freezing Pokemon flew back, out of the flames, with two handprints burned into its fur. It fell to the ice again, not moving.

"Beartic is unable to battle! The challenger wins! The victory goes to Masuku Shiyousha from Driftveil!" The youngest Shiyousha was making a big deal about dancing around the field until he slipped and fell on the ice. Buki picked him up and sent him to the sidelines. "That's what you get for grandstanding." He laughed.

* * *

"The battle between the Gym Leader Brycen, and the challenger, Buki Shiyousha from Driftveil City, will now begin! This last battle has the same requirements and regulations as the ones preceding! Trainer's ready?" They nodded. "Then begin!"

"Go, Ferroseed!" Buki called out. His Pokeball opened, revealing the Thorn Seed Pokemon. Brycen smiled. "Steel Type, hmm? That advantage won't help you in the slightest! I choose you, Cryogonal!" For the third and final time that day, the Crystallizing Pokemon appeared.

"Blow it away! Icy Wind!" Brycen shouted. Cryogonal 'inhaled,' breathing the attack at the dual type. "Ingrain!" Ferroseed's bottom spike extended into the ground, forming roots that held it in place. The attack hit Ferroseed, but the Thorn Seed Pokemon seemed completely fine.

"But now you can't move from that spot! There will be no problem defeating you!" Brycen boasted. "You didn't strike me as the over-confident type." Buki commented. "I don't know much about plants, but I do know that if you uproot it, you can put it somewhere where it will benefit more. So there will be no problem giving you a few problems! Ferroseed, Curse!" The Steel Type glowed for a moment, lowering its speed to increase attack and defense.

"Now, Gyro Ball!" The dual type glowed silver and began to spin, tearing its roots from the ground and moving forward, throwing up ice chips as its bottom spike cut into the ground. Brycen, knowing the purpose of lowering Ferroseed's speed before using Gyro Ball, knew he'd have to deflect the attack.

"Aurora Beam!" Cryogonal formed a glowing green and black sphere, launching a black and green beam at the spinning Ferroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon met the Aurora Beam with a tremendous clash, but the dual type pushed through, continuing on its path to Cryogonal. The Gyro Ball now took on a rainbow colored hue.

"Dodge!" Brycen commanded. Cryogonal moved to the side, but the Gyro Ball followed. The Crystallizing Pokemon flew up higher. "After it!" Buki exclaimed. Ferroseed launched itself high into the air, crashing into Cryogonal and knocking it to the icy ground. "Sharpen!" Cryogonal shined for an instant, making its snow-flake edges razor sharp. Sparks flew as the sharper edges scraped against the ground.

"Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal floated up once more, turning sideways before flying at Ferroseed, spinning like a throwing star. "Intercept with Metal Claw!" Ferroseed's green thorns turned silver, matching the rest of its body. It threw itself at the spinning Cryogonal, it rotating as well to give its Metal Claw more power. The two Pokemon met in a clash of sparks and shot past each other. Ferroseed wobbled on its bottom spike while Cryogonal was stuck in the ground by one of its snow-flake edges. Then, Cryogonal's bright, eerie blue eyes dimmed, leaving the crack across the center completely black.

"Cryogonal is unable to battle! Ferroseed wins!" Buki cheered for his Pokemon in an unusual display of childlike excitement. "Fantastic job, Ferroseed! You won your first Gym battle!" Ferroseed kept spinning, but rotated just a little faster, possibly from happiness at its trainer's praise.

"Return, Cryogonal." He replaced the Crystallizing Pokemon's Pokeball in his robe, pulling out another. "It's hard to believe that your Ferroseed hasn't had any Gym experience. It is a competent battler. As are you." Brycen complimented. Buki was taken aback.

"Thank you, Brycen." "However, I've decided that saving the best for last is what got me defeated so many times today. I'm a competent battler as well. Go, Beartic!" Buki was surprised. So far, Brycen's best Pokemon was the last one he used. He must've been pulling out all the stops against the oldest Shiyousha. The Freezing Pokemon roared again, a fierce sound that seemed to make the ground shake.

"Go, Superpower!" Beartic began to glow, taking its big paws and clapping them over the Thorn Seed Pokemon, dealing massive damage. Beartic roared again, pulling back as if stung. Green spikes stuck out from its paws. Buki looked to his Ferroseed, who was missing several spikes. As he watched all the missing spikes were replaced by more sliding out of the holes left behind.

"That must be Ferroseed's Iron Barbs. Contact causes damage to the opponent." He observed. "Ok. That's pretty cool. Use Iron Head!" Ferroseed glowed white, its body just a black outline. It rocketed toward Beartic as if propelled by a powerful force. "Blizzard!" Brycen called, attempting a counter.

"Flash Cannon!" Buki commanded. Ferroseed began spinning, shooting a white beam of energy from its top spike. The attack swirled around Ferroseed's Iron Head, offering it extra power. The Blizzard hit the swirling Flash Cannon and was absorbed.

"Beartic! Trump card: Focus Blast!" The Freezing Pokemon put its paws out, forming a light blue sphere of energy. It lifted its paws above its head, the sphere growing until it was bigger than its user. Beartic waited until Ferroseed got close and leaped up, bringing the Fighting Type attack down on the Thorn Seed Pokemon. The explosion lifted Beartic higher into the air, not doing much damage. Ferroseed was pushed down, its mix of attacks blasting another crater into the ground. Beartic landed on the lip of the crater, looking smugly down at the dual type.

"Ferroseed is unable to battle! Beartic wins!" Buki sighed as he brought his beaten Pokemon back. "You did well." He said, putting the ball back under his obi. He pulled another out. "Time to avenge! Sawk!" The Pokeball opened, releasing the Karate Pokemon. A circle of stars surrounded him, signifying his Shiny status.

"Use Fling, then Double Kick!" Sawk pulled his gi back with one hand, thrusting the other inside to bring out the Dark Stone. He launched it, immediately vanishing from view. The Dark Stone hit Beartic in the stomach, loosing a burst of sparks. Sawk appeared in the air in front of the Freezing Pokemon, catching the Dark Stone, replacing it inside his gi, striking out with a roundhouse, and following with a spin kick. Beartic was thrown back, somersaulting from the ground to get to all fours.

"Thrash!" "Close Combat!" Beartic pounced, fierce like a lion with its hands glowing. Sawk jumped forward with equal intensity, lashing out with punches and kicks. The two traded blows, neither seeming to take much damage, even though both moves were extremely powerful. Even super effective, in Sawk's case.

"This isn't working! We need more speed! Throw me the Stone!" Sawk didn't question his trainer, reaching into his gi with one hand, punching with the other, and launching kicks as well. He threw the Stone to Buki and immediately began hitting faster, arms and legs looking like they weren't moving. However, soon after, both Pokemon tired and broke apart.

"Your Sawk has unnatural speed. The Iron Ball training is truly the stuff of legends." Buki rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's really nothing. I have a spare Iron Ball if you want to increase Beartic's speed." Brycen thought about it. "I'll take you up on that offer. _After _I beat Sawk! Beartic, use Thrash and Ice Punch! Together!"

Beartic roared approval and its fists began glowing blue. It moved in, throwing punches that Sawk was dodging easily with his amazing speed. Buki was unclear about the purpose of such an attack until he saw where Sawk was being led. Beartic was pushing the Karate Pokemon to the boards.

"Jump over!" Buki yelled to his fighter. Sawk nodded and jumped. Beartic roared again, this time in victory, as an Ice Punch found home on Sawk's midsection. Sawk completed the jump, but Ice spread down from his torso.

"Damn! Partially frozen!" Buki cursed. "Return!" He brought Sawk back before pulling out his other Pokeball. "Go, Klink!" The Gear Pokemon floated a safe distance away from Beartic.

"Keep going, Beartic! We'll finish this here!" Brycen commanded. However, the purple rings around Beartic's eyes signified confusion from the fatigue of using Thrash so much. Buki took advantage of the situation.

"Klink, Autotomize! Shift Gear!" Klink glowed, the two cogs that made up its body whirling so quickly that it was impossible to pick out individual features. "I'm gonna skip the explanation and just say that Klink's four times as fast and twice as powerful!" Brycen looked at Klink, impressed.

"Gear Grind!" Klink vanished, leaving afterimages in its wake. It moved faster than Sawk ever could, even with thirty years of Iron Ball training. The two cogs separated, electricity flowing freely between them. They started at the ground, throwing up ice and dirt as they dug deep into the field, and worked their way up Beartic's body, doing major damage. They moved so quickly that they were back together and on Buki's side of the field within seconds of moving.

"That is most impressive. It's a shame you can't teach those moves to any Pokemon. But, there is a weakness, like there is to all moves." Brycen revealed. Buki looked startled that the Leader had figured it out so quickly. "Like all status changing moves, these aren't permanent." Buki's eyes widened. Even as he spoke, Klink began to spin slower, still much quicker than normal, but not as fast as before.

"You're right." Buki admitted. "But it doesn't matter! Klink, use Discharge!" Klink turned a bright yellow for an instant before releasing a wave of pure energy that zapped Beartic. However, this cleared the confusion from the Freezing Pokemon's eyes. Klink was now moving slower than before Buki commanded Autotomize and Shift Gear.

"Beartic, Superpower!" Beartic delivered a super attack in the form of one fist crashing into each gear, throwing the Steel Type back. Klink floated weakly. "Damn it! Return!" Klink was brought back. "Sawk, we've gotta finish this!" The sparks flew again as the Shiny Fighting Type appeared in what appeared to be a fighting stance. It was hard to tell because half of his body was still frozen.

"Thrash!" Brycen commanded again. "I hate resorting to such a move, but Sawk, use Bide!" The Karate Pokemon crossed his arms in defensive position over his chest as blows rained down on him from the Freezing Pokemon.

"Hang in there!" Buki encouraged. "Sawk!" The Fighting Type began to glow. "Get back! If he can't hit us, we won't take damage!" "Wrong!" Sawk expelled all the pent-up energy he'd endured, firing off an energy wave that pulverized the ice holding him. The wave washed over Beartic, bringing it to its knees. Both Pokemon panted from exhaustion.

"This will be the final attack." Brycen commented. Buki nodded. "It's all about raw power now." The two called their attacks together. "Superpower!/Reversal!" Brycen's eyes widened, but it was too late to call off the attack. Beartic glowed blue for the last time and went to hammer Sawk into the ground. Sawk caught the Freezing Pokemon's arms and yanked, falling naturally into a roll backwards. Beartic followed, and midway through the roll, Sawk thrust both feet up into the Ice Type's stomach, sending it flying.

"Beartic is unable to battle! Sawk wins!" The referee called once Beartic landed. Brycen brought his partner back, singing its praises. He drew his last Pokeball, noting how weak Sawk was. "Go, Vanillish!" The Icy Snow Pokemon floated happily above the busted-up ice field, completely oblivious to the destruction.

"Uproar!" Vanillish opened its mouth and began to scream. Loudly. Sawk put his hands over where ears would be on his head. A sound wave blasted from Vanillish's mouth, knocking Sawk back. "Get back up!" The Karate Pokemon crawled to his feet. "Close Combat!" "Uproar!" Sawk raced forward, disappearing as Vanillish unleashed another scream. The sound waves showed where Sawk was, as his body disrupted them. Sawk was taking damage, but kept going. He reappeared behind Vanillish and whirled, this time only using his knees and elbows for the Close Combat.

"Vanillish! Icicle Spear!" The Icy Snow Pokemon turned and blasted Sawk close-range with the shafts of ice. The Karate Pokemon fell back. "Sawk is unable to battle! Vanillish wins!" Buki brought Sawk back into the Pokeball. "That last Close Combat…it looked like you were trying to show off." He smiled down at the ball. "Klink and I will finish this up. Don't worry about it." He replaced the ball with Klink's.

"Klink!" The Gear Pokemon reappeared, still weakened from Beartic's Superpower. "Well…it seems like we might be evenly matched here. Your Klink took severe damage from Beartic, and Vanillish suffered damage from your Sawk." Brycen noticed.

"Even…for now." Buki agreed. "Klink, think you can handle another power up?" Klink made a metallic sound of assent. "Good! Autotomize, Shift Gear, and Charge!" Klink shuddered in the air as the sound of the two gears became a loud whirr. "Wild Charge!" Electricity sparked to life around Klink's metal body. The gears shot off in different directions, each sparking toward the Icy Snow Pokemon. They hit at the same time, going at a different angle and creating an electric X across the field with Vanillish in the center.

When the dust settled, Vanillish was shining. "Harden." Brycen explained. "Nice attack, but it didn't do a lot. And you took damage too." He was right. Wild Charge was a more tame version of Volt Tackle, the user taking a fourth of the damage dealt. Luckily, Klink didn't give much damage, so it didn't take much.

"Counterattack!" Brycen called. "Blizzard!" Vanillish breathed the powerful Ice attack just as the two gears came back together. "That's gonna be a direct hit, brother!" Masuku called from the sidelines. "I've gotta make sure Klink doesn't freeze!" Buki's eyes widened.

"Klink, keep using Shift Gear!" Klink followed its trainer's command, whirling faster and faster until the gears began to glow from the speed and friction. "There's no way Klink can freeze now!" Buki declared. The Blizzard washed over the Steel Type, but most of the attack melted before it could do too much damage. Still, Klink didn't have much energy left, already slowing down again. Then he began to shine.

"_Klink_, _Klink_! _Klang_!" "Klink evolved!" Ash said. Buki smiled as his Pokedex offered information on the new Pokemon. _"Klang, the Gear Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Klink. By changing the direction of its rotation, it communicates its feelings. If it begins to rotate faster, it is angry."_

Klang resembled three gears, with six teeth on the smaller two and eight teeth on the bigger one, all interlocking. The left eye of the smaller gear was a simple "X", while its right eye was wide with a black pupil and a white cornea. It had a round green nose and a small mouth that was wide open. The large gear's left eye was a black square, and its right was a black circle. Its mouth was a sharply angled white frown.

"Sweet!" Buki exclaimed. "You evolved." He grinned over at Brycen. "Let's end this!" Klang agreed. Its eyes, all of them, began to glow red. A red ring formed in front of it, waving a little, as if unstable. The ring fired, becoming smaller and attaching to Vanillish, forming a little target.

"Damn!" Brycen said. "Lock-On." Buki smiled. "Cool. A sure hit. Now, what you use?" Klang answered that too. In front of the blue orb at the center of the big gear formed a sphere of yellow electricity with a blood-red center.

"_Klang_!" The attack fired, hitting with no problems due to the Lock-On. "Vanillish is unable to battle! Klang wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Buki Shiyousha from Driftveil City!"

"Was that Zap Cannon?" Buki wondered. He was startled out of his musings by Ash and Masuku joining him on the field. Brycen came over to them, holding a pillow with three Badges resting on it.

"Those were incredible battles. I'm proud to give you three the Freeze Badge." Unlike other victories, this one was a somber affair. "I realize what you must do now. Let me lead you to Dragonspiral Tower. After I heal all your Pokemon, of course."

* * *

Brycen stepped out into the snow first, stiffening. "Who are you?! I know you're there! Why don't you show yourselves?!" Buki forced his way out the door in time to see three shadows vanish from the snow.

"The Shadow Triad." He spat. "They headed for Dragonspiral Tower." Brycen noted. "That makes sense. They're N's bodyguards and intelligence gatherers. They want to make sure I'm on the right track." Brycen nodded. "Follow me."

He led the way through the icy city, heading north. There was no one around, leaving an eerie feel over the entire place. Eventually, after twenty minutes of walking, they began to see the Tower. An explosion rocked the air, and Brycen raced ahead.

Soon after they stood before the Tower, taking it all in. They stood at the edge of a lake, looking up at an enormous tower. It was clearly ancient, with large, gaping holes in the sides along its length. Busted pillars breached the surface of the water. A metal walkway that had no place among the old Tower and pillars jutted from the edge of the lake to the center of a huge hole that led inside.

"Oh, Ash! Buki! Masuku!" The boys looked around, catching sight of Cedric Juniper. "Professor…what are you doing here?" Buki asked. "I heard about what was happening here from Brycen, and flew up immediately. But, we should chat later. Here's the situation. Some members of Team Plasma-quite a large group-broke through the tower wall and went inside. Brycen went after Team Plasma, but..." He broke off.

"But what's so important to N here?" Masuku asked. "Ha! I guess you would be curious. Well, I'll explain briefly. Dragonspiral Tower has stood tall since long before Unova was founded. The top floor is where the ritual to revive Reshiram has to take place. Are you going to go after Team Plasma? It's admirable of you to join the fight, but it's risky too."

"Don't worry about it Professor. Masuku and I will protect you." Ash vowed. "Why, thank you! That makes me feel much safer! Well, Buki! It's up to you! Climb the tower!" Buki nodded. "I won't fail." He promised.

The foursome trod carefully over the metal walkway, steps echoing hollowly. "Oh. Before I forget," Cedric began, digging through his bag. "Nurse Joy asked me to give this to you, Buki." He pulled out a Pokeball, and Buki's eyes lit up. "Samurott?" Cedric nodded with a big smile.

"We can't let our hero enter battle without his most powerful ally." Buki slipped the Pokeball under his obi, securing it tight. "Let's do this." They stepped into the gaping black opening. The room they were in was amazing. They stood on an ornate green tiled floor that broke away in the center, lake water lapping at the edges. Inside this room, the water was bluer than any water the assembled had seen. It seemed to shine, but there was no light.

"I found the steps." Masuku said, pointing to a single flight of stairs that led up to the next level. "Remember: everyone be cautious up there." Cedric warned. The three nodded and they made their way to the next level.

"There they are!" "Remember, don't touch the swordsman!" "Yeah, Master N wants him to go to the top!" When the four entered the second floor they were confronted by two dozen Team Plasma grunts. Ash and Masuku stepped up, the latter pulling out a Pokeball.

"Go, Tynamo!" The EleFish Pokemon appeared. "Go, Double Thunderbolt!" Ash and Masuku commanded together. Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder and both Electric Types glowed yellow before loosing a powerful blast of lighting that combined and blasted all the Grunts to the ground.

"Go!" Ash cried to Buki. The swordsman nodded, racing past the fallen Grunts. He ran up the next flight of stairs as the knight-like villains began to rise. Ash looked to Masuku and they took up defensive positions in front of Cedric.

"You ready, Ash?" The hat-wearing trainer nodded apprehensively as each Grunt pulled out a Pokeball.

* * *

Buki ascended, not seeing any more Grunts. He was now in a room that took the shape of the Tower. It was a round floor, but broken into segments like a target. There was a ring that came from the wall, a four-foot space, then another ring, another space, and finally a central circle of floor. Buki would have to cross all that, and the opposite side, to get to the final obstacle. A winding staircase that led to the last floor, thousands of steps above him. He couldn't go around, because of barriers erected hundreds of years ago.

"Damn. Well, at least I don't have to mess with any Grunts." He said. He shuffled back to the staircase before running at the edge. He leapt, landing on the other side in a crouch. He'd landed in the middle of the ring. He had to do this right, because he couldn't run anywhere for a better start.

He focused on all his training on his body, preparing himself for the next leap. He sprang forward, making the landing but slipping. He saw the floor underneath, at least a three storey drop, before his hand snapped out, catching the very edge. He struggled to pull himself up. Standing again, he got an idea.

He walked around the ring for a little bit, turned, and ran back to the place he'd landed. He built up speed and leaped sideways, rolling onto the last section of floor. "Damn. This is harder than I thought it'd be." He got another bright idea.

"Samurott, I choose you!" The Formidable Pokemon appeared, not seeing an opponent. Then he saw Buki and padded over with a happy grin on his face. "It's good to see you, partner." Buki said. "Sam, Samu!" The Water Type nodded. "Listen, I've got a problem. I've gotta get over to that staircase…but I don't know if I can get there." Samurott nodded, motioning for Buki to climb onto his back.

Buki sat atop Samurott like the Pokemon was a horse. "Alright! Samurott, let's go!" The Formidabble Pokemon started from the edge, took a few running steps, and jumped. The two soared over the first ring, landing on the one before the staircase. He took one more jump, landing on the stairs.

"Good job." Buki praised as he slid off. He brought the Pokemon back into his ball and began climbing the stairs.

* * *

"Timburr, Hammer Arm!" Masuku roared. The Muscular Pokemon ran forward, clutching his broken beam. The beam glowed white and Timburr swung both pieces around, spinning. The attack knocked back a whole team of Pokemon, but another took their place, giving the injured time to get back up and crowd around. "Tynamo, Thunderbolt!"

"There's too many of them!" Ash called. The Grunts had succeeded in separating the two trainers, and Cedric. The three were locked in a massive battle, even Cedric, who was battling with two Elgyem. The room was three stone platforms. The first was attached to the wall and had the stairs that they'd came from. The second was suspended in midair, held up by steps that led from the first platform and led to the third. The third came from the wall, higher than the second, which was higher than the first. It had the steps that Buki had ran up five minutes ago.

"Keep going, Timburr!" Masuku called. He was on the third tier, Ash on the second, and Cedric on the first. Timburr kept spinning, knocking back another set of Pokemon, causing a chain reaction that led to a Grunt toppling over the edge of the floor, screaming as he took the long drop to the water below.

"No!" Masuku called out, not wanting the sure death of the Grunt on his conscious. "Masuku!" Cedric called out. "These guys are trying to separate us from our Pokemon! We can't show any mercy!" Masuku and Ash were both shocked, but agreed with the older trainer. The other Grunts didn't seem fazed by the death of their associate. In fact, one of them began commanding the fallen man's Pokemon to attack as well. Masuku saw red.

"You mean you can't even feel for that guy?!" He cried as Timburr lashed out again. The Muscular Pokemon was getting tired, and was steadily losing ground. "Timburr, platform!" Timburr looked confused for a second, but understood. He lifted one piece of his beam straight up. Masuku jumped, landing on the edge with one foot. He jumped again, aiming himself at the one who began commanding the dead Grunt's Pokemon. Tynamo floated above the battle, following his trainer for backup.

"Bastard!" He yelled as he punched out, knocking the man back against the stairs. Masuku pulled out his other Pokeballs. "Go, Pignite! Throh! Scraggy!" He called as the other Grunts started to race around the platform to take care of the angry boy, drawing swords.

"Ha!" He yelled. "Take care of these Pokemon, guys!" He dodged the first sword easily, taunting the Grunts. "My big brother's _way_ better with a blade than you guys!" He ducked and weaved, lashing out when he saw an opening.

"Pig, Pig!" Pignite hollered, hands ablaze and lashing out with Fire Thrusts whenever something got too close. Scraggy saw Ash struggling below and leaped from the third tier with Hi Jump Kick. He knocked out a Purrloin and moved into the crowd to give the hat-wearing trainer some assistance.

"Throh!" The Judo Pokemon used Superpower, hefting a Pokemon in each hand and throwing them away. The Grunts returned their defeated Pokemon, three from Pignite, two from Throh, and several from Timburr. This helped, but there were several Pokemon still fighting on this level, and the dead man's beaten Pokemon laid where they fell. Cedric could see the problem due to the two Elgyem sending pictures to his mind.

"Psychic!" He called. The defeated Pokemon that had no trainer were lifted into the air and brought to Cedric's level. The Elgyem casually threw the Pokemon down the staircase. They'd be battered, but alive. That was all that mattered at this point.

"Thanks Cedric!" Masuku yelled. The Professor waved once, returning his focus to the battle. Back on Ash's level, the hat-wearing trainer also released all his Pokemon to help with the battle.

"Zorua! Tranquill! Primeape! Krokorok!" Zorua vanished through the ranks using multiple Faint Attacks, dealing quick damage and disappearing to cause more chaos. Tranquill flapped her wings heavily, buffeting the whole tier with Gust. More Grunts fell off the ledge, screaming.

"Prime-Primeape!" The Pig Monkey let loose Close Combat, making several Pokemon fall. Cedric kept helping, having one Elgyem focus on fighting, and another get rid of fainted Pokemon so they weren't in the way.

"Krokorok!" The Desert Croc used Stone Edge indiscriminately, knocking out Pokemon and human alike. Even more humans went over the edge. Scraggy kept moving through the group, unnoticed because of his size. Because of this he could leap up with Hi Jump Kick, taking someone out, and duck back down to find his next target.

* * *

Buki could hear the sounds of fighting as he ran up the stairs. He could look down and see the battle from between the rings. He lost visibility as he climbed higher, but could hear clearly. The sounds echoed from below, bouncing up through the Tower.

"Damn. They've gotta be getting tired by now." He mused. It had been twenty minutes of solid running to climb the stairs, and Buki was glad of all the training he'd done through his life. He was just starting to get winded. He didn't have too much longer to go, but he didn't like the glow from the room above.

* * *

"You've been beaten. Let us pass." Masuku demanded. All the other Grunts that had been left alive had fled, but a few stood resolutely in the trainers' path. "No. No one is allowed to pass but the one with the sword." They said in unison.

"That's it. Tynamo! Wild Charge!" Tynamo came from behind the two, knocking them forward with the shocking Electric attack. The three trainers stepped out of the way as the two Grunts tumbled and rolled down the stairs to the floor below.

"Now, let's get moving!"

* * *

Buki had been climbing now for 45 minutes, and had just gotten to the top. N stood alone in the center of a room that had more broken pillars. There was another gaping hole behind N that led outside. N smiled as the Tower began to shake, like something huge was disturbing the air outside. A bright red light made Buki close his eyes, but a loud shriek made him open them again. _"Oh no. He's already resurrected Reshiram…"_

"What do you think, Buki? How do you like the beautiful form of the Pokemon who appears before and fights beside the hero that will lead the way to a new world?" N asked quietly. Reshiram, the Vast White Pokemon, was truly beautiful. But it was also terrifying. Its body was streamlined, but powerful, and its ice blue eyes were calculating and intelligent. Buki gulped as those eyes trained themselves on him.

"**Who is this? Is it the one you told me about, my Lord?"** Its voice was a soft, melodic one, but was definitely male. N nodded. "This is the one we must fight." He looked at Buki. "I know you have the Dark Stone. Bring it out, and Zekrom will respond to Reshiram's power!"

Buki reached into his obi, pulling out Sawk's Pokeball. "Sawk, I need the Dark Stone!" He called, releasing the Pokemon. Sawk obediently handed the Stone to his trainer. "Good. Return." Buki thanked.

"Zekrom…I need your help. N wants to ruin this world by separating humans and Pokemon. He's brought your rival, Reshiram, back to this plane…and I can't save this world without you. So I ask you…_help me_!" He held the Stone up to the sky. Thunder sounded outside, followed by a flash of lightning, but nothing else happened.

**"Strange. I can feel the conviction in the boy's voice, but Zekrom doesn't respond."** Buki's spirits sank to his stomach. Zekrom wasn't coming…but why? N had an answer though.

"It must not be the fated time for our battle, Buki. Zekrom will only respond to your plea once the conditions are right for battle. But, for now, Reshiram and I will go to the Pokemon League!" Buki was shocked. "You can't leave here!" He exclaimed. N laughed.

"You can't stop me without Zekrom." He noted. "There, I will have the last of the Pokémon battles that hurt Pokémon so. A world for Pokémon alone... It's finally going to be a reality. If you want to stop me, you must become a hero as well! That's right! When Zekrom finally recognizes you, we will be even, and then-only then-you can try to stop us!"

Buki was speechless for a second. N spoke up again. "Well, what will you do? My prediction... If the future that I see is true, you will meet Zekrom. The Pokémon with you believe in you so strongly... Will you be the one who interferes with my formula for changing the world? If you want to protect the bonds between Pokémon and people, you must search for impress Zekrom! I'm sure it is waiting for you!" He turned and leaped from the Tower, falling for an instant before Reshiram was there to catch him. Buki's Pokedex finally offered up information, only making Buki feel worse.

_Reshiram, the Vast White Pokemon. This Legendary Pokemon can scorch the world with fire. When its tail flares, the heat energy moves the atmosphere and changes the weather. It helps those who want to build an idealistic world._

* * *

**There's the end of this chapter. I hope it's received well and you all enjoyed it. So, the boys get their seventh Badges, and are one step closer to the League. It's imperative they get there, so that N can be stopped. N, who has already awakened Reshiram, is sure that Buki is the hero that will rise to fight him. However, Zekrom didn't respond to Buki's heart, or Reshiram's power. Will this sew doubts into Buki's mind, or will he strive to prove himself a hero to the slumbering Pokemon? And yes, I realize that Reshiram is Truth and Zekrom is Ideals, but since Zekrom revealed himself to Ash, Buki, and Masuku in the first chapter, (and the first episode of the series,) Zekrom had to be the one who would be on the side of the boys, who look at the Truth that Pokemon and humans are supposed to be together. So, next time, Buki breaks the news that he was unable to stop N, and the boys continue toward their last Gym Battle, and the Pokemon League. The story is coming to a close folks, and I'll be sad. I think there might be six more chapters, but that's an estimate. So, stay tuned, and tell me what you thought. Ja Nae.**


	20. The Evolutionary Exchange!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

**Welcome to the twentieth chapter of Pokemon: Best Wishes! Last time here we saw Ash, Buki, and Masuku receive the Freeze Badge from Brycen. After a hard-fought battle, the Leader handed the Badges to the boys and they exited the Gym. Outside, the Shadow Triad waited in hiding, fleeing when Brycen noticed. The foursome made haste for Dragonspiral Tower, when an explosion caused Brycen to race ahead. When our heroes make it to the Tower, they meet Cedric Juniper, who gives Samurott back to Buki. They enter the Tower, never finding Brycen, and are immediately thrust into battle. Buki goes to the top of the Tower while his friends fight below. He finds N, and a resurrected Reshiram. Zekrom refused to heed his call, and he was unable to stop N from leaving for the Pokemon League. As the Vast White Pokemon leaves, Buki's Pokedex gives unsettling information on the Legendary Dragon.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: The Evolutionary Exchange**

* * *

"_Reshiram, the Vast White Pokemon. This Legendary Pokemon can scorch the world with fire. When its tail flares, the heat energy moves the atmosphere and changes the weather. It helps those who want to build an idealistic world."_

Buki was unable to move, and left utterly speechless. He stared at the spot where N and Reshiram disappeared, his Pokedex replaying the same information over and over, as if the Vast White Pokemon's very _presence_ shorted it out. Finally, the swordsman was forced to silence the machine…with a well placed knuckle.

"Damn thing." He muttered, voice raspy from not being used in a half hour. He placed it back in his pocket and started the long walk back downstairs, mind plagued with one thought after another.

* * *

"We've…gotta…get up there!" Ash panted heavily as he raced up the stairs. Actually, twenty minutes ago it was racing. Now he was trying not to topple and take out Cedric. Masuku, due to his intense training with his brother, (and while said brother was on his various journeys) had pulled ahead of the other two, and was nearing the top. Ash heard a startled scream. He looking up and saw Masuku falling off the side of the staircase and Buki falling back onto the steps. Masuku hadn't been looking and ran into his brother. This high up and the fighter would be killed.

"_No!_" Buki screamed. Masuku quickly jammed his hand under his stomach band, fumbling for a Pokeball. "Go, Gurdurr!" The evolved form of Masuku's Timburr burst from his Pokeball underneath his trainer, holding two halves of an I-beam. The ends were jagged from the battle with Brycen while he was still Timburr. The Muscular Pokemon had evolved in the battles with the Team Plasma Grunts when Buki was trying to stop N. Masuku landed on one of the halves and the Muscular Pokemon launched him back up, where Buki hoisted his little brother back onto the stairs.

"_Return!_" He cried desperately, managing to return the Fighting Type to his Pokeball. Both brothers were panting heavily from the stress, and Buki brought his fist down onto Masuku's head.

"_Moron_!" Masuku cringed and rubbed his head. "Watch where you're going!" The older boy was angry, as to be expected, but he seemed angrier than he should've been, Ash noted. He climbed the last few stairs that separated him from his companions, offering each of them a hand up. They started back down, meeting Cedric.

* * *

There was _definitely_ something wrong with Buki, Ash realized. His friend was completely silent and was a mix of melancholy and rage. It was an hour later, and the foursome was sitting in the grass outside the Tower. They'd still never found Brycen, which worried everyone but the swordsman, who was still out of sorts.

"What the hell's wrong with you, brother?" As always, Masuku was the first to comment on something. They'd only been sitting for a few minutes, and Buki hadn't begun to divulge what happened up there. However, since N didn't come down, and Buki was in the mood he was in, there really wasn't any doubt in what happened. Buki stayed silent for another minute or so before Masuku stood and hauled him up by his kimono-shirt.

"Damn it, Buki! Say something!" Buki blinked at his brother's unusual use of his name. Masuku threw him back onto the grass, disgusted. "I couldn't stop him." Buki mumbled. Masuku looked back down, expression softening somewhat. Buki stared at the ground.

"I went up there, and he'd already brought Reshiram back. He waited for me to bring out Zekrom, and I couldn't do it. It wouldn't respond to me…" He broke off. Cedric placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "There's nothing else you could've done, m'boy. If Zekrom wouldn't respond, then he wouldn't respond, and you can't beat yourself up about it." Ash nodded vigorously.

"It's just another challenge to overcome." Buki looked at the other trainer. "You just have to believe. Did anything else happen?" Buki nodded. "N said he was going to the Pokemon League…and that was when our fight was destined. He said I hadn't proved myself to Zekrom yet, and that he wouldn't appear until the destined time…" Masuku nodded.

"That means we've got time, right?" Buki glared at him. "No, idiot. That means we can't be wasting time here!" Cedric's grip on Buki's shoulder tightened. "No, your brother's right. We have some time to play with. The League doesn't take place for three more months." All three trainers made faces of surprise.

"That quickly?!" Ash asked. "We still don't have the eighth Badge!" Masuku hollered. "_Uggggh…_" The four narrowed their eyes, looking to the bushes for the source of the sound. They could only see the blue of Brycen's tunic, and they hurried to pull him out.

* * *

The Pokemon Center usually wasn't equipped for human care, but this was a special case. Clyde had already gotten all the other patients back into the Center by the time Ash and the others brought Brycen in. From what the Leader told them, the Shadow Triad had battled him and won, knocking him unconscious. Nurse Joy and Audino took Brycen in and told the trainers not to worry. After that, Cedric flew back to Nuvema to fill his daughter in on what had happened. One Heal Pulse and Brycen was back to normal.

Ash and Buki were supporting Brycen as they four walked back to the Gym. "We don't have time to dally." Buki decided. "Brycen, where do you suggest we go next?" The older man thought as they entered the Gym and lowered Brycen into a chair.

"Opelucid City." He said finally. "It's the closest city to the League, and there's a Gym. The Leader's are a pair named Drayden and Iris. They're Dragon Tamers." That was a little unsettling. All three boys knew Dragon Types had two weaknesses. Ice Types and other Dragon Types.

"I understand that time is of the essence." Brycen added. "You need to be on your way. Don't worry about me. Clyde will help me." The boys nodded, sad to leave the man as he was. However, they really needed to get moving.

* * *

"Oi, youse two." The man and the woman who dozed close by were roused by their companion's call. "The twerps is leavin' the Gym." Jessie and James smiled to one another. "Finally. We've been waiting for so long. Between those missions from the Boss, and those Team Plasma fools wandering around, Team Rocket's had a hard time getting after Pikachu." The redhead said. James nodded. "It's been so long, but all those successful missions and training have really paid off. I can sense Pikachu falling into our grasp." Meowth interrupted the two.

"If youse don't hurry up, we won't be able to catch Pikachu!" "Right." Jessie and James said together.

* * *

The boys were walking through the marshes outside Icirrus City, trying to make their way to Opelucid City and their last Gym Badge. The marshes were wet from the constant rain and snow that seemed to plague the area. There wasn't much around, except for clumps of grass that struggled to grow through the mud that lined the narrow path. There were also puddles of stagnant water throughout the mud that were cesspools for all kinds of undesirable organisms.

"This is friggin' dreary." Masuku commented. He wasn't just talking about their surroundings, either. Ever since Dragonspiral Tower, all the boys had been somber. And for good reason, but it wasn't the kind of person Masuku was to let something like that go on for any longer than it already had.

"Masuku, I'm just not in the mood." Buki reprimanded without conviction. Masuku hated seeing his brother in such a lousy mood, and looked around for something to take the swordsman's mind off his problem. He found it in the form of a small Pokemon playing in the water. It was really just a helmet with a pink sort of shellfish inside. But it seemed like a Steel Type. That would get his brother in a better humor.

"Look, bro." Buki followed his brother's arm, staring at the Pokemon that happily ignored them for the water. A familiar shine appeared in Buki's eyes as he remembered one of the things in life he loved most. Catching and training a Steel Type Pokemon.

"Sawk! Triple Kick!" The Karate Pokemon bowed as he was released from his Pokeball. He ran, not even sliding on the slippery mud as he closed in on the Pokemon. "Shelmet?" It asked, seeing Sawk for the first time. It had no chance for defense as Sawk brought a leg straight up, sending the Shelmet into the air. The second kick was a roundhouse with the same leg, and the third was a spin kick. The Shelmet flew back, skidding into the mud.

"That was too easy! Pokeball, go!" Shelmet vanished in a bright light that was replaced quickly with blue sparks, signifying capture. "Yes!" Buki high-fived Sawk and picked the Pokeball from the mud. He checked the Pokedex. "Son of a bitch! Masuku, Shelmet's a _Bug_ Type." Masuku sweat dropped. "Sorry."

"Damn it." A voice said. "I've been searching for a Shelmet for a week!" The boys turned and saw someone they all knew coming from the trees. "Harrison," Buki growled. The boy put up his hands, placating the swordsman.

"Haven't I apologized enough yet?" He asked. "My Rhyperior just got a little overzealous." Then he noticed the swordsman's companions. "Ash? Is that you? What's it been, three years?" Ash nodded, happy to see an old friend. Pikachu waved at the older boy, making him smile and wave back. Then, Harrison looked at Masuku.

"Who's this guy?" He stuck out a hand to shake. "Masuku Shiyousha." He said proudly, taking the offered hand. "Oh, so you're Buki's brother?" Masuku nodded. "Excellent capture back there." He complemented. Buki nodded, still not too happy with the meeting.

"I've been looking for a Shelmet for a while now. Ever since I beat Brycen." The boys looked surprised. "You fought Brycen?" Masuku asked. "We just came from there." Ash explained.

"I understand." Harrison said. "Were you guys part of what happened up at Dragonspiral Tower?" Buki looked down again, and the other two nodded. "What's wrong?" The older boy asked Buki. "It's nothing." The swordsman promised. "Why were you looking for a Shelmet?"

"Well, you see, I've got a Karrablast." When the boys still looked confused, Harrison continued. "See, Karrablast can only evolve when traded for a Shelmet. Something about electricity being shared, but the basic idea is that you have to trade Karrablast for Shelmet for the evolutionary process to take place." The boys looked amazed.

"Something like that really happens?" Ash asked. Harrison nodded. "As such, their evolved forms are pretty hard to come by. I couldn't convince you to trade, could I?" Buki thought for a second. "I guess so." He pulled out his new Pokeball.

"Hey, buddy, sorry to trade you away so soon. I hate to admit it, but this guy's a really good trainer. I wouldn't trade if I didn't think he could train you just as well as I could." Harrison pulled out a ball too.

"Buki, that really means a lot. I'll definitely take good care of him." They both released their Pokemon at the same time, revealing Shelmet, and his counterpart, Karrablast, who was a scarab-like Pokemon. The two then pulled out their Pokedex's, Buki's with a crack from his earlier malfunction.

"And…trade." They hit a button at the same time, and both Pokemon returned to their balls, and each ball flying to the other trainer's hand. Then the balls opened again to reveal two glowing figures in the middle of evolution.

"Karra…!" The light faded from Karrablast, and the new form was quite stunning. The metal armor from Shelmet had encased Karrablast's form during evolution, forming him into an armored bug with twin lances for hands. "Escavalier!"

"Shel!" When the light faded from Shelmet, no armor remained on its body. Its pink face was now a head, and its body was wrapped tightly in grey bandages. "Accelgor!"

Harrison's Pokedex offered up information on Accelgor, while Buki's covered Escavalier. _"Accelgor, the Shell Out Pokémon, and the evolved form of Shelmet. Accelgor has become much more agile since its shell was removed, allowing it to move like a ninja when battling." "Escavalier, the Cavalry Pokemon, and the evolved form of Karrablast. These Pokemon wear the steel armor of Shelmet, and it protects their whole body. It flies around at high speed, striking opponents bravely with their spears."_

"That's so freakin' cool!" Masuku exclaimed. Ash nodded. "I can't believe those little Pokemon became such powerhouses." Buki and Harrison smiled. "You know what has to happen, right?" Harrison asked. "Oh, yeah." Buki nodded. "Time to battle!" They said simultaneously.

* * *

"Wait." James said. "We should wait to attack." Team Rocket was in the trees, and had just about attacked when James interrupted. "What?" Jessie asked angrily. "If we wait for them to tire each other out, we can get Pikachu, _and_ those evolved Pokemon."

* * *

"This one-on-one battle between Buki and Escavalier, and Harrison and Accelgor, can now begin!" Masuku called. "Perfect!" Harrison decided. "Accelgor, use Double Team! Then Swift!" "Accel!" The Shell Out Pokemon flickered, copying himself and forming a ring around Escavalier. Each Accelgor flipped into the air, scarf-like bandages glowing. They released a mass of star-shaped energy that washed over Escavalier.

"Bug Buzz!" Buki commanded. Escavalier pointed his lances into the air and made a screeching sound. Red sound waves obliterated the Swift and hit each Accelgor, passing through the fakes and leaving the real one in pain.

"Use Peck!" Buki said. Escavalier's lances glowed and he closed in on the Shell Out Pokemon, dealing super-effective damage by thrusting the lances into Accelgor's belly. "Now, use Iron Head!" Escavalier began to glow with white energy. He used his lances to lift Accelgor into the air.

"Accelgor, you have to escape!" Harrison cried. "Struggle Bug!" Accelgor wrapped his arms around Escavalier's lances, curling his body up. He began to glow red. "Hit him!" Buki exclaimed. Escavalier brought his lances down, dropping Accelgor down on the Iron Head attack.

"Go!" Harrison yelled. The red glow became a blast of red energy that threw the Cavalry Pokemon away. "Acid Spray!" The Shell Out Pokemon opened his small mouth, spitting a deep purple colored acid. It washed over Escavalier, but didn't seem to do any damage.

"I'm a Steel-Type expert!" Buki hollered, getting the fire back in his eyes. "Poison-Type attacks have no effect on them!" He turned to Escavalier. "Twineedle!" The dual type crossed the distance between the two Pokemon in seconds, stabbing repeatedly with his lances.

"Dodge with Agility!" Accelgor ducked and weaved to avoid being skewered. "Iron Head!" As Accelgor dodged the last strike, his opponent began glowing again, leaping at the Shell Out Pokemon.

"Me First!" Harrison commanded. "Accel!" Accelgor glowed too, copying Escavalier's attack. They rushed one another, crashing together in a glorious blast. Both Pokemon were thrown from the smoke.

"Are you ok?!" Buki asked. "Escav!" "What about you?!" Harrison demanded. "Accel!" "Good! Then let's keep the pressure on!" Buki yelled. "Use X-Scissor!" Escavalier's lances began to glow. He crossed them, and slashed out, sending an X shaped blast at his opponent.

"Me First, again!" Accelgor crossed his hands, also slashing out. The two blasts collided, making another explosion. "If I copy all your attacks, then you can't hit Accelgor!"

"That's not very smart, Harrison!" Buki declared. "You can't hit me either!" "That's where you're wrong." Harrison said. "Me First sends the attack at twice the power." Buki's eyes widened, and he looked at where the X-Scissors exploded. The scorch marks on the muddy ground were closer to Escavalier than Accelgor, meaning that Accelgor's attack pushed the Cavalry Pokemon's back.

* * *

"Hey, hey!" Meowth exclaimed triumphantly from the trees. "What?" James asked. "That little 'Me Foist' trick that older twerp just used gives me an idea."

"What kind of idea?" Jessie asked, intrigued. "Youse just gotta wait and see!" The Normal-Type cackled gleefully, leaping from the trees and heading back to the balloon.

* * *

"So any attack I use is going to be sent back at me, twice as powerful." Buki said to himself. He snapped his fingers. "Got it!" He cried. "Giga Impact!" "Me First!" Orange starbursts of energy spiraled around both Pokemon. From between the spokes of orange energy, purple energy formed. Both Pokemon launched themselves at one another, crashing once more in the middle of their battlefield.

"What did _that_ accomplish?!" Harrison demanded. "Both Pokemon took damage from that, and Accelgor was attacking at double power!" Buki smiled. "You're the one that's wrong now. Escavalier isn't affected by Normal-Type moves as much as Accelgor! I've finally found a way to end this match!"

"We just won't use Giga Impact anymore!" Harrison called. "We'll keep attacking, balancing the power so we don't take any damage!" The smoke cleared, showing the two Pokemon standing opposite each other, orange sparks keeping them immobilized.

"Accelgor, Bug Buzz!" The sparks that kept the Shell Out Pokemon from moving vanished, and the Bug-Type unleashed a furious screech at his opponent. "You use Iron Defense, and then Giga Impact!" Buki commanded. Escavalier was quick to obey, throwing his lances up, crossed, in front of him. He glowed silver, body turning to iron to ward off the waves of red energy.

"Go!" Buki called. The orange energy burst out around the Cavalry Pokemon again, followed by the purple. Escavalier shot forward, still crouched in Iron Defense. "Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Harrison yelled. Accelgor zipped around, trying to evade the Steep-Type's attack.

_Gotta find some way to make Escavalier faster. _Buki thought, checking the Pokedex. He smiled. "Escavalier, cancel the attack and use Aerial Ace!" Harrison's eyes widened. "Aerial Ace?!"

"Escav!" The energy dispersed from around the Cavalry Pokemon's body, instead replaced by streaks of white energy. Escavalier stretched his lances out beside him, vanishing. He reappeared directly in front of Accelgor, slashing his lances inward, and then up. Accelgor was sent flying through the air, taking super-effective damage.

"No, Accelgor!" The Shell Out Pokemon crashed into the ground. "Accelgor is unable to battle!" Masuku declared. "Buki and Escavalier are the winners!" "Yes!" Buki exclaimed. He rushed out to congratulate Escavalier, but the Pokemon wasn't very enthusiastic. He crossed his lances like a petulant child, eyes closed and back to his trainer.

"Yeah, I probably should've warned you about him. When he was a Karrablast, he was an extremely serious Pokemon. No nonsense." He patted the Steel-Type on the head, making a hollow, metallic ring. "I'm gonna miss you, buddy." Escavalier's eyes opened in what seemed like a happy look.

"It'll take some work, but once he gets used to you guys, he should loosen up a little." Harrison turned to Buki. "That was a great victory." He complimented. Buki rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"I'm really sorry about what happened at the Indigo League." The older boy continued. Buki looked off to the side, thinking. "Don't worry about it." He decided. "We're square." Harrison smiled.

"But don't think I'm not gonna try and beat you in the Unova League!" The swordsman declared. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Harrison replied. Buki was about to say something else, but the ground began to shake, and the four boys were thrown into the muck.

"Well, isn't that cute. Boys will be boys." The four flicked their eyes to where the voice came from, but all they saw was a giant Accelgor with a large R on the chest. "What the hell is that?!" Harrison demanded.

"Team Rocket." Ash said. "I thought it was weird that we hadn't seen them in so long!" Masuku cried. "Wait, _that's_ Team Rocket? The ones from the Silver Conference?!" Ash nodded.

"Wait." James' voice echoed from inside the machine. "I recognize that twerp. He's the one that beat _our_ twerp back in Johto!" A light turned on inside the machine, turning the area where Accelgor's eyes would be into glass, revealing the villainous trio.

"That just makes this more ironic!" Meowth exclaimed as he punched a button. Suddenly, the bandages that whipped in the breeze behind the machine shot forward, ensnaring the two evolved Pokemon.

"No!" Their two trainers cried out together. "Pikachu!" Ash yelled. The Mouse Pokemon jumped down from his shoulder. "Thunderbolt!" "Ash!" Buki called. "You'll shock our Pokemon!"

"Ha!" Meowth taunted. "Me _Foist_!" He hit another button, and electricity sparked around the giant machine. The two captured Pokemon cried out in pain, and the Accelgor mockery fired the double-powered Thunderbolt. The bolt crashed along the ground, tearing it with its power.

"Down!" Masuku commanded. All four trainers dove into the mud, feeling the heat of the bolt as it passed above their backs. They heard squealing tires and mud being splattered as the machine pealed away from them on its tank treads.

"We've gotta go after them!" Buki said as he jumped up from the muck. He watched the machine intently, looking for a weakness. The Accelgor lurched a little as its treads lost grip on the mud.

"There!" Buki decided. He turned to Harrison. "Do you have a Water Pokemon?" Harrison nodded, confused. "Listen, those treads can't keep a grip on the mud. If we can make the mud even _more_ slippery then the machine shouldn't be able to get any farther." Harrison nodded again, pulling out a Pokeball. Buki smirked, reaching for his own ball from under his obi.

"Go, Beartic!" "Samurott, give me some help!" The two Water Types appeared with ferocious roars. "Go! Hydro Pump!" The trainers yelled, pointing at the massive Accelgor. The two Pokemon reared back, blasting the powerful bursts of water toward their target.

"Not a chance!" James cried, pressing a button of his own. The Accelgor's body twisted and the streams of water flew past, impacting against the ground in front of it. Buki and Harrison smiled to one another as they returned their Pokemon. The machine hit the patch of mud they'd soaked. The treads began squealing as they struggled to escape the patch. However, the only thing they succeeded in doing was getting the treads sunk, keeping them in place.

"You're not getting away that easy!" Ash called out. "Pikachu, use Thunder!" The Electric Type loosed a massive blue bolt into the sky, drawing huge black clouds to make the sky overcast. Rain began to fall heavily.

"Why'd Thunder cause a storm?" Masuku asked in wonder. Buki thought he had an answer, but was wary of mentioning it. If he'd have looked into his bag, he'd have noticed the Dark Stone glowing and emitting blue sparks.

"Please!" Jessie cried out from inside the machine. "There's no way that'll work!" She pressed a button. "Me First!" She exclaimed. "Accelgor!" Harrison interrupted. "Me First!" Both Accelgor glowed for an instant, and then the light faded.

"What?!" Jessie screamed. "What the hell, Meowth?!" There was a crashing sound, like the redhead had launched a blow at the Scratch-Cat Pokemon. "Damn it, woman!" The cat hollered back.

"What happened?" Ash asked. "There are certain moves that Me First can't copy, including itself. So if two Pokemon use Me First on each other, it wouldn't work. If it was possible for that to happen, the battle would never end. Each side would use Me First as an attack, and it would lead to nothing but a 'Me First' battle." The older boy explained.

"Escavalier, Slash!" "Me First!" Harrison commanded. Both Pokemon cut their bonds and fell to the ground. They rushed back to their trainers. The sky rumbled, and it was clear the Pikachu's hyper-powered attack was about to drop.

"Eject!" James cried, pressing another button. The glass shattered and the three leaped down into the mud. They rolled away as a massive blue bolt destroyed their machine.

"Damn it!" Jessie yelled, crawling from the muck. "It's time to battle!" James nodded, and they both drew their two Pokeballs. "Go, Galvantula and Woobat!" "Maractus, Amoonguss, I choose you!" The four Pokemon appeared, staring maliciously at the trainers and their two Pokemon.

"_Attack_!" Jessie screeched. All the Pokemon began to rush at the four trainers. "Accelgor, Bug Buzz!" The Shell Out Pokemon stepped forward, crying out. The red shockwave made the opposing Pokemon slow down. Buki smiled. "That's a good idea. Escavalier! Back 'em up!" The Cavalry Pokemon used Bug Buzz as well, stopping the other four Pokemon in their tracks.

"Ha!" Harrison taunted. "You came at us with Pokemon that were all weak against Bug Type moves! They can't even move!" He turned to the hat wearing trainer. "Ash! Take 'em out!" The boy smiled.

"Ready, Pikachu?" "I want in on this too!" Masuku declared. "Pignite, I choose you!" He pulled a Pokeball from under his stomach band and threw it. The Fire Pig Pokemon appeared, blowing steam from his nostrils.

"Sounds good." Ash said. "Ready?" Masuku nodded. "Born that way." "Pikachu, Electro Ball!" "Pignite, you use Fire Pledge!" Pikachu jumped up and flipped, forming a ball of bright yellow sparks on the tip of his tail. At the height of his flip, he flicked his tail, launching the attack at the assembled opponents.

At the same time, Pignite placed his hands out in front of him, like he was holding something. The air began to shimmer in between his palms as a ball of fire cracked to life. Pignite drew an arm back, throwing the ball with all his might. The two orbs collided in midair and for a second, it seemed like they were going to cancel each other out. However, the two spheres achieved a sort of peace with one another, continuing on their journey together.

"Accelgor, cancel the attack." Harrison said. Buki mirrored the command. Now, the other Pokemon were unhindered, only for the two attacks fired by Ash and Masuku to pass them. They were puzzled for a moment, and turned their backs on their opponents in time to see the attacks crash into the ground between them and their trainers.

A huge column of fire exploded around them, reaching for the sky. Sparks of powerful electricity arced throughout the attack, and the result was a massive blast that sent Team Rocket shooting high into the sky.

* * *

"So," Ash asked. "What are you gonna do now?" Harrison scratched his head in thought. "I don't really want to go to Opelucid City like you guys are. It's the closest Gym to the League, and there'll be a bunch of trainers there. It just doesn't sound much like my kinda thing. I'm gonna head to Virbank City. Or maybe Humilau City." Buki looked confused.

"I've never heard of those cities having Gyms." He noted. Harrison nodded. "They didn't, until recently. The new Gym Leaders are supposed to be powerful, but nobody knows much about them." Harrison explained. "I think it'll be a better test of my skills to fight someone I know absolutely nothing about." Masuku cocked his head.

"That makes a lot of sense." He turned to Buki. "Why can't we go to one of those cities? We could even go with Harrison." Buki's left eyebrow traveled up. He didn't think it was his decision, but even Ash was looking at him. It was like he'd become the leader of the three during their journey. He figured it was simply because of the whole Zekrom thing, and that he had been called out by N…but he wasn't sure.

"I don't know." He said finally. "In some ways, it sounds like a pretty good idea, and yet, it doesn't." Harrison smiled. "That sounds a little indecisive. But that's ok. I'd really rather travel by myself." Masuku looked at him, possibly offended.

"Nothing against you three." He said quickly. "I just like being by myself. Besides, if we travel together, we may not be able to battle with everything we have when its time for the League." That gave them all something to think about.

"I really respect you all as fellow trainers, and I don't think it would be fair to you, or me, if we didn't give everything against one another." They all shared another smile, and Harrison shook their hands.

"You're all amazing trainers." He said to them. He turned to Masuku. "I've had the honor of battling Ash and your brother. I'd like very much to have the opportunity to face you as well." Masuku smiled and put out a fist.

"I'd like that too." Harrison met the smaller boy's fist with his own. "I'll see you three at the League. Go get that Badge." He turned away from the three and began to walk away.

* * *

**Sorry about the shorter chapter. This is kinda like a filler episode, but it's filler with a purpose. This took WAY too long to write. Couple weeks or more. Gonna be a little while before an update, because my computer's screwing up again. I'm thinking of changing my new fic ideas around a little. I really want to use Masuku in another Unova fic that goes along with Black 2 and White 2 and use him as a player character. Putting that aside, the team is that much closer to the League. With another powerful Pokemon on their side, it should be easier for them to make their way, right?**


	21. Deerling, Sawsbuck, and a Triple Battle!

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

**After being rejected by Zekrom and failing to defeat N, Buki suffered a miniature episode of depression, only cheered by Masuku pointing out a possible Steel-Type Pokemon. The Pokemon ended up being a Bug-Type, but was the Pokemon needed by none other than Harrison. Harrison and Buki traded Karrablast for Shelmet, evolving them into Escavalier and Accelgor. After an intense battle, Buki is victorious. He accepts Harrison's apology for what happened at the Indigo League. Then, Escavalier and Accelgor are captured by Team Rocket. They are defeated, and our trio and Harrison part ways: Harrison going to a newer Gym to give himself a challenge, and the trio of trainers continuing toward Opelucid City. Also, just a fantastic little tidbit of information, before I upload this, there's 20 chapters, 20 favorites, and 20 comments. I almost hate to ruin the cycle, but the show must go on!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Deerling, Sawsbuck, and the Triple Battle!**

* * *

"I could totally kick his ass, don't you think brother?" Masuku hadn't stopped talking about wanting to battle Harrison since the three had parted ways with him three days before.

"Masuku, he beat _me_ in a six-on-six Championship battle. What makes you think _you_ could win where I lost?" Buki said shortly. He felt somewhat bad for being so blunt with the younger boy, but Masuku was getting on his nerves. Buki was already a little annoyed by his current predicament. He was 'chosen' by Zekrom, but the Dragon-Type wouldn't respond to his calls. Another thing was that while it was Spring outside, it felt like a really hot summer. For some reason, as they walked through the marshes, it was really muggy and they hadn't seen any Pokemon for awhile.

"Man," Ash said. "We need to find some shelter for awhile. Or some shade." "It's still hot under the shade!" Masuku complained. "The temperature's been steadily rising since Reshiram came back." Buki said lowly. The others stopped complaining and walked on.

Soon the marshes gave way to a forest of some kind. Under the canopy of leaves the heat was nearly unbearable. "Damn it." Masuku muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Even my bandages are soaked." He threw his stuff down by some bushes and sat down, unwinding the bandages from around his arms. He pulled new rolls from his pack and began the process of redoing them.

"Come on. Can't you do that later?" Buki asked. "They're just gonna get wet again." Ash reasoned. "Pi, Pika!" Agreed the Mouse Pokemon tiredly. "You guys know you've been looking for an excuse for a rest." He finished one arm and moved on to the next. Ash and Buki looked from one another to Masuku. Ash shrugged, going to sit by the younger boy. The swordsman sighed, joining him companions. "Might as well." He said under his breath.

It didn't take long for Masuku to finish his bandages. "Crap. I need to pee." He said, getting up and going into the bushes. "I'll be right back." "Whatever." Buki called back, lacing his hands behind his head and leaning against a tree. He closed his eyes. "Might as well be comfortable. If that's possible." He only dozed for a moment before he was rudely awakened by his brother.

"_Damn it_!" There was the sound of crunching underbrush, signifying Masuku running toward them. But those footsteps seemed a little heavy, and much too fast, for Masuku. Buki's eyes snapped open. Ash was on his knees, peeking over the bushes, looking for Masuku. Buki grabbed him by the shirt.

"Down!" The boy commanded. They'd only just ducked down when a Pokemon leaped over the bushes like a hurdle and kept running. It was a deer-like Pokemon, with huge, leafy antlers.

"That's a Sawsbuck, right?" Ash asked. Buki nodded. "Summer Form. But it's Spring." "_Brother_!" Buki's eyes flicked back to Sawsbuck. Its leafy antlers had shifted, revealing Masuku clinging to the neck of the dashing Pokemon.

"Damn! It's got Masuku." Buki said, preparing to give chase. Then he stopped, and started laughing. "What's so funny?" Ash asked. "Little idiot must've peed on it!" He exclaimed. Ash smiled, stifling laughter.

"Pfft…ha-ha…this isn't funny." He scolded lightly. "We need to find out where that Sawsbuck went." He pulled a Pokeball from his belt. "Go, Tranquill!" The Wild Pigeon Pokemon flapped off in search of the wayward Fighting-Type specialist. Buki grabbed his brother's backpack.

"Well, let's go then." They took off in pursuit of the Flying-Type. After trekking through the forest for some time, however, they began to lose sight of Tranquill. They were alone, and everything that moved could've been Sawsbuck, for all they knew.

"Damn it!" Buki cursed. "Sawsbuck is perfectly camouflaged in this friggin' forest. There's no way to find it without Tranquill." Just then, Sawsbuck raced past them, knocking Buki down. However, this Sawsbuck was different. Instead of leafy antlers, this Sawsbuck had normal antlers with flowers growing all over them. A stream of obscenities fell from Buki's mouth as Ash helped him up.

"You're acting weird lately." Ash noted. Buki grunted, starting forward again. "You can't let this Zekrom thing get to you." The hat-wearing trainer counseled. "You've gotta get back to normal, 'cause you can't prove yourself to the Dark Stone if you're moping around." Buki stopped, thinking.

"You're right." That was all he said on the subject. "Now come on. That Sawsbuck was in Spring Form, but the one that took Masuku was Summer Form. Something weird is going on here." It wasn't long before they came across a cute brunette girl, who was about their age. She wore her hair up in spiky pigtails, and was dressed in the clothing of a Pokemon Ranger.

Ash was somewhat curious. "I thought Rangers were older." The girl turned, startled to see them. "Who are you two?" She asked, trying to sound authoritative. "Are you the ones that did this to the Pokemon?!" She motioned to a Sawsbuck, in Spring Form like the one they noticed before. It was laying on the ground, and its horns were going through several changes. They started with flowers, like normal for that time of year. As the two trainers watched, the flowers grew until they were the large, leafy antlers of Summer Form. Then leaves fell away, leaving normal antlers. Flowers sprouted, and the cycle continued.

"We didn't do this." Buki promised. "We're just looking for my brother." "Then _he_ did it!" She exclaimed comically. Ash and Buki were feeling some balance between humor and annoyance.

"…no." Ash said. The girl's face fell. "Then who _did_ do it?!" Ash and Buki shared a look. The hat-wearing trainer nodded. Buki took a deep breath. "Reshiram." The girl was quiet for a moment, then burst out in a fit of laughter.

"Reshiram?!" She sounded incredulous. "Surely you don't believe those fairy tails?!" She continued to laugh, but Ash interrupted. "If you're a Ranger, shouldn't _you_ believe them?" She stopped laughing, looking quite sheepish.

"I actually only just became a Ranger. I don't have a partner yet, and I'm really not supposed to be here." She smiled flirtatiously, scratching the back of her head. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" She looked at them with big eyes. Ash and Buki both looked uncomfortable under her gaze, and agreed.

"Good! Now we can see about finding your brother!" She put a hand to her chin, thinking hard. "I _did_ see a boy on the back of a Sawsbuck. He was a screamer." Buki cut off the laugh that was forming. No doubt if his little brother would've heard that, he'd have had words to say to this girl. Or he'd be staring at her, speechless. Most likely speechless.

"I'm Buki." He said, offering a hand. She took his hand and laced their fingers together. "I'm Kate." She started pulling him after her. "Come on! I saw the Sawsbuck with your brother go deeper into the forest!" Buki looked back at Ash, helplessly.

"My name's Ash." He called after them. "This is Pikachu." "Pika." The Electric-Type sweat-dropped.

* * *

"So you've got seven badges?!" Ash had finally caught up to the other two, but was still being ignored. "That's _so_ cool!" Kate wouldn't stop talking about Buki's accomplishments.

"You know, Ash has seven badges too. And so does my brother." "Who's Ash? You have a brother?" Buki furrowed his eyebrows. "That's who we're looking for, remember?" She raised an eyebrow, thinking hard.

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Buki looked at Ash subtly, mouthing 'help me.' _"Jeez. First, it was that Sayo chick from the P1 Grand Prix, and now this one. What's up with the crazy girls?"_

Luckily, Ash decided to start talking. "So, Kate, what made you decide to become a Pokemon Ranger?" Kate looked at him like it was the first time she saw him. She immediately switched sides, now latched onto the hat-wearing boy.

"Well, the uniform looked cute, and so did the Ranger boys." She cast an appraising eye over Ash and Buki. "But now I'm regretting not becoming a trainer." The two trainers shared an uncomfortable glance.

"…Where did you see the Sawsbuck go?" Ash asked, trying to get his arm out of her grasp. She tightened her hands like a python. "It wasn't _too_ far ahead." She said. Ash looked up, constantly searching the skies for sight of Tranquill. Soon, they reached a clearing in the woods. Ash scoped around once more, looking for his Pokemon. He caught a flash of white and grey and, suddenly, Tranquill was soaring in a circle about a half-mile away.

"Buki." The sword-toting trainer glanced up, spotting the Wild Pigeon Pokemon. "Let's make tracks!" Buki exclaimed, taking off. Ash rushed after, trailing Kate from his arm.

* * *

"Damn deer!" Masuku screamed. "You're lucky I can't get to my Pokeballs! I'd get my Pignite and we'd make some venison!" A couple Sawsbuck were constantly using Nature Power, turning it into Stun Spore and paralyzing the young trainer. There were only three Deerling in the entire group. They stood close by, watching with interest.

"My friends are gonna find me, and when they do they'll help me roast you!" He flicked his eyes around the forest clearing, trying to find something that would help. He happened to look up, seeing a Tranquill flying in a circle. Masuku smiled.

"_That's Ash's trademarked way of finding stuff. They should be here any second."_ In the bushes, Ash and Buki were scoping the clearing. Ash consulted the Pokedex. _Deerling. The Season Pokemon. The turning of the seasons changes the color and scent of this Pokémon's fur. People use it to mark the seasons._

Buki also pulled his Pokedex out. _Sawsbuck. The Season Pokemon. The plants growing on its horns change according to the season. The leaders of the herd possess magnificent horns. _Buki furrowed his eyebrows.

"I can't believe the Deerling and Sawsbuck are being so vicious. They're usually so peaceful." "That's another reason why we have to stop N. Reshiram is messing up the climate, and that's messing with the Pokemon." Buki nodded.

"I think this has gone on long enough. Let's go get him out of there." Buki made to leap from the bushes, but realized something. "…Where's Kate?" Ash's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

"Capture _on_!" She was in the middle of the clearing, Styler out. She'd just released the top from the main part of the device, and had it aimed into the trees. She started whirling the Styler around, looping the top around whatever Pokemon was in the tree.

Meanwhile, the Sawsbuck had realized they had an intruder, and decided to run her down. The three Deerling hung back, 'guarding' Masuku. "Capture Complete!" Kate cried. Just as the Sawsbuck got close, three Joltik leaped from the tree.

"Joltik, Electroweb!" Sparks of yellow electricity appeared in between the Joltiks' mandibles. It fired a stream of yellow electricity into the air. The tip opened up and expanded, forming a large spider web of electricity. The web covered the charging Sawsbuck, electrocuting them. They were immobilized.

"Thanks a lot, Joltik." She released the three. Two of them scuttled back into the trees, but the last one jumped onto Kate's shoulder, nuzzling against her face. "Aww…so cute." She muttered. She patted the Joltik, getting shocked by a small spark.

"I released you, remember? Time to go back to your friends." The Joltik stayed put. "Does this mean you want to come with me?" "Jolt, Jolt!" It squeaked. Kate smiled. "This means…I have a partner!" At about that time, the three Deerling realized their companions weren't going to be able to get rid of the intruder. They were going to have to take care of things themselves. Kate was so enraptured with her new partner that she wasn't paying attention.

"Deer…_ling_!" They each fired a glowing green sphere. "Damn!" Buki cried from the bushes. "That's Energy Ball!" Kate still wasn't paying attention. "Shoot!" Buki and Ash jumped from the bushes, Buki with Pokeball in hand.

"Samurott, use Shell Blade to deflect!" The Formidable Pokemon appeared, drawing his blades from their sheathes. "Sam! Rott" He roared, slashing through two of them. He swung his head around, catching the third with his massive horn. When the smoke cleared, the Water-Type was swarmed with the Deerling.

"Ash, go free Masuku! I'll handle the Deerling! Samurott, return!" He pulled out another Pokeball. "Go, Sawk!" The Karate Pokemon used Triple Kick, knocking each Deerling away. The Sawsbuck strained against their bonds, but received another jolt of electricity.

"I can't get him up!" Ash called. "Kate!" The Ranger looked to Buki. "Go help Ash!" She ran toward the hat-wearing trainer, pulling something from her pack. "Ash!" She called out, throwing the item. "It's Paralyz Heal!" Ash got to work spraying, while Kate pulled out another and began to spray. One of the Deerling got up and rushed at Ash.

"Sawk, stop it! Use Fling!" Sawk grabbed his Iron Ball from his gi and launched it with precision. However, Deerling used Agility. The ball crashed heavily to the ground, inches behind the Season Pokemon. Deerling jumped, teeth catching Ash's hat. The dual-type ran further into the forest.

"Damn it! They _always _go for the hat!" He cried, getting up and giving chase. Kate made to follow. "No! Keep spraying!" Buki called. "Sawk, let's try Close Combat!" The remaining Deerling were knocked back once more.

* * *

"Get back here, you little bastard!" Ash cried. He'd been running after the Deerling for about five minutes, and was getting tired of the chase. His Tranquill was above him, following his progress.

"Tranquill, use Aerial Ace!" The Wild Pigeon Pokemon dove from the sky and flashed past Deerling. The Season Pokemon tripped, falling to the ground, while Ash's hat flew into the air. Tranquill doubled back, catching the hat and bringing it to her trainer.

"Good job." He said as she alighted on his shoulder. "You ready, Pikachu?" "Pika!" Deerling stood on wobbly legs. It glared at Tranquill, ignoring Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon cocked his head, not liking the lack of interest.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu raced forward. Deerling ran forward as well, using Agility. It sidestepped Pikachu, hitting the Electric-type with Double Edge. While the smaller Pokemon flew back, Deerling fired Energy Ball, point-blank. Then, without waiting to see if Pikachu would get up, it ran for Ash, aiming for Tranquill.

"Go ahead, Tranquill!" The Flying-type took off from Ash's shoulder to fly at the Season Pokemon. Deerling used Agility again, now taking huge strides where its legs barely touched the ground. It began to shine just as it collided with Tranquill's Aerial Ace.

When the light died the Deerling had been replaced with Sawsbuck. The newly evolved Pokemon was in Spring Form, and its horns were glowing green. Its head was lowered, and the horns had struck Tranquill.

"What?!" Ash checked the Pokedex. _Sawsbuck's signature move, Horn Leech, saps the opponent's strength to replenish its own._ "Tranquill! You have to get away from those horns!" Tranquill started flapping her wings, using the powerful wing beats to rise slowly away from the deer-like Pokemon.

"Use Sky Attack!" Tranquill fully broke away from Sawsbuck, flying high up into the air. Sawsbuck fired multiple Energy Ball attacks that were all dodged with the Wild Pigeon Pokemon's skillful flying. Tranquill turned 'round, diving at the Normal/Grass-type. White energy burst out around her as she made contact.

At the same time, Sawsbuck used Horn Leech once more, attempting to siphon the energy away from Tranquill's attack. The two stayed locked for a few seconds, Horn Leech succeeding somewhat in draining energy from the attack. However, Tranquill's attack was far too powerful, and Sawsbuck couldn't steal enough energy away.

Tranquill broke past Sawsbuck's antlers, crashing into the Season Pokemon with the super effective move. The deer-like Pokemon crashed to the ground. Ash reached into his bag. "Let's get ready to go back."

* * *

"The Sawsbuck are breaking free!" Buki exclaimed. "Hurry up with that Paralyz Heal!" Now the electricity was drained from the Electroweb, and Buki and Sawk were about to be overrun by the deer-like Pokemon.

"Got it!" Kate cried. She may've said something else, but was drowned out by Masuku. "YES!" He grabbed a Pokeball. "It's _over_ now, friggin' deer! Pignite, let's go!" The Fire Pig Pokemon twisted his head, cracking what little neck he had.

"Fire Thrust!" "Close Combat!" Pignite ran forward, hands alight. Sawk dropped right in the middle of the group of Sawsbuck, lashing out with knees and elbows, with Pignite attacking the stragglers.

The ground rustled behind them. They all whirled around, expecting more Sawsbuck. It was just Ash. The boy was walking back out of the trees, Pikachu on his shoulder, Tranquill perched on his arm, and a Pokeball clutched in a triumphant grip.

"Caught the sucker." He called, putting the ball on his belt. He shook his hat to get the dust off, and put it back on his head. Buki nodded, then turned to Kate.

"Is there something we can do to help the Deerling and the Sawsbuck?" He asked. "_Help_ them?!" Masuku exploded. "I think we should _barbeque _them!" "You peed on them. It was really your fault." Ash noted. Masuku crossed his arms.

"I can call the other Rangers." Kate said. "They'll know what to do." "But, won't you get in trouble?" Ash asked. "That doesn't matter." She said. "As a Ranger, I have to help these Pokemon. And, I think they'll be excited when they see my new partner Pokemon." She patted Joltik.

"Besides," She began. "I've decided you guys aren't crazy. You've gotta do something about whatever's going on with Reshiram. It's gonna mess with _all_ the Pokemon, and it'll just get worse." She pulled Ash and Buki into a bear hug.

"I'm _really_ gonna miss you guys." Masuku looked left out. "Do _I_ get a hug?" Ash and Buki laughed silently as she messed up his hair.

* * *

"So, you caught one of those stupid things?" Masuku asked with a scowl. Ash frowned at him. "I actually had a _really_ good battle with him, and he's pretty powerful for having just evolved." "Whatever." The wrestler muttered.

The three walked in silence for awhile, getting close to the forest's edge. After awhile, they began to hear the sounds of a loud argument. Well, really just one male voice loudly arguing with a much quieter male voice.

"I think I recognize that voice." Ash said, sweat dropping. "Which one?" Buki asked, having an idea as to the identity of the quieter voice. "The loud one." Ash sighed. The three of them left the forest, ending up on a short bridge. The argument was taking place at the far end, by the entrance to a sort of building that connected the Routes.

"It was your fault, jackass." Said the quieter boy. "Oh, Arceus." Masuku muttered. "It's Trip." He was right. Trip, the smart-aleck that faced off in a battle against Ash, Buki, and Masuku so long ago was standing and arguing with a blond boy. The boy wore an orange and white striped shirt. He was stamping his feet and swinging his fists around.

"I'm issuing you a fine!" He cried. There was a third boy, who slapped his palm to his face. "C'mon, Barry. Does that ever work?" He had dark blue hair, cut short and covered by a red beret. He wore a red shirt under a blue jacket, and black jeans.

"Shut up, Lucas! I'm fining him!" Barry happened to turn, seeing the trio approaching. "My Arceus!" He yelled, temporarily forgetting Trip. He ran toward the trio. "Ash!" He cried, waving his arms. "It's me! Barry!" Lucas turned to Trip.

"Sorry about him." "Hn." "Hey, Barry." Ash said. Trip's eyebrow raised at Ash's voice, and he started to walk over. "Oh. I thought I heard you guys." Masuku leveled a glare at the boy, who returned it.

"Who's this guy?" Buki asked, politely. "I'm Barry. I'm Ash's rival from the Sinnoh League!" "One of them." Ash acknowledged. "And I'm Barry's rival. Or so he says." Lucas said, walking up. "I'm his friend. Probably one of the only ones he's got." Barry laughed sarcastically.

"Real funny, Luke." He flicked Lucas' beret, causing it to fly off. "Jerk." Lucas muttered, kneeling to retrieve it. "What are you doing here, Barry?" Ash asked. "Competing. Lucas and I are traveling together. We've already got our eight Badges, and we're going to Vertress City for the League." Ash's eyes widened.

"We haven't even got our last Badge yet!" He cried. "You better hurry up." Barry said. "You've only got about a week short of three months left. Although, it shouldn't take _that_ long." Barry mused. "Opelucid City is on the other side of this Route, then across a bridge. It'll take maybe a half-day of walking. And just a few days beyond that is the League city of Vertress." The three sighed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. We've got time." Barry smiled. "How about we use some of that time for a battle. For old time's sake?" Lucas grinned too. "I could get in on that. I'm always up for fighting against somebody tough." Buki and Masuku looked at each other and smirked.

"Count us in." "That's five." Barry said, thinking. "We could do a Triple Battle, if this guy would oblige." He jerked a thumb at Trip. "Tch. As if." He turned, ready to walk away.

"Chicken." Masuku taunted. "He's just a pansy. We beat him before, and now he doesn't even want to try." Trip glared over his shoulder. "Ok. I'm game. Let's go."

* * *

"We each get one Pokemon, and the battle's decided when one side's Pokemon are all unable to battle." Buki decided. "Everyone, reveal the Pokemon you choose to fight with!" He cried, throwing a Pokeball. Five others followed, revealing six very different Pokemon.

On our heroes' side was Throh, Zorua, and Excadrill. In front of Barry on the other side was a Cofagrigus, in front of Lucas was a Lickilicky, and lastly, in front of Trip was a Chandelure, another Ghost-type that looked like a chandelier.

"Looks like a party." Masuku commented. "Well then, How about _I_ kick this party off?!" Barry cried. "Cofagrigus, use Shadow Ball on Excadrill!" The Coffin Pokemon brought all four shadowy hands together, forming a purple energy ball between them. It pulled its arms apart, turning the one Shadow Ball into four. It then spun around, launching all four at the Subterrene Pokemon.

"Dodge it with Drill Run!" Buki commanded. "Zorua, use Dark Pulse!" "Throh, you take the hits from those Shadow Balls and use Revenge on Lickilicky!" Excadrill compacted into Drill Form, rocketing past the Coffin Pokemon's attack. Throh jumped into the path of the Ghost-type move, taking the damage. He then raced across the bridge to the Normal-type Lickilicky, intent on dealing super-effective damage. At the same time, Zorua opened his mouth and fired a mass of bluish-black energy rings at Chandelure.

"Chandelure, deflect it with Will-O-Wisp!" The Luring Pokemon's purple flames flickered higher, and it released them in a stream to collide with the Dark Pulse. Throh was closing in on Lickilicky.

"Lickilicky, use Power Whip!" The Licking Pokemon's tongue shot out of his mouth, glowing green. Throh brought both hands up and grabbed the Normal-type's glowing appendage. He drew back and threw the large Pokemon over his shoulder.

Cofagrigus was using his ghostly arms to try and hold Excadrill back. "Excadrill, augment with Metal Claw!" The Subterrene Pokemon's steel drill-edge began to glow silver and Excadrill moved somewhat closer to the Ghost-type.

"Use Destiny Bond!" Barry commanded. Cofagrigus' 'arms' glowed, and then the Ghost-type released Excadrill. The Ground-type crashed into Cofagrigus, moving past it. Cofagrigus fell to the ground, faceplate closing and arms disappearing. Excadrill turned back to Normal Form and fell down as well.

"Cofagrigus and Excadrill are out!" Barry called. He and Buki brought their Pokemon back. "Damn." Buki said. "First one out." "To be fair, I was first." Barry commented. They moved back, cheering for their sides.

"Zorua, use Dark Pulse, again!" Zorua opened his mouth and blasted another round of bluish-black energy at the Luring Pokemon. "Chandelure, dodge and use Will-O-Wisp!" Chandelure showed impressive speed, dodging Zorua's attack easily. The Ghost-type got up close and its flames flared up. Zorua jumped back, but still had a burn down his side.

"Now use Hex!" Chandelure began to spin quickly. Black energy poured off the Luring Pokemon's body, floating up above it. The energy formed a black sphere, with more energy branching out from it like tentacles. The center of the sphere opened, forming an evil red eye.

The eye focused on Zorua, releasing a black wave of power that washed over the Tricky Fox Pokemon. "Hex deals double damage if the target has a status problem! Like a burn!" Trip gloated.

"But Zorua is a Dark-type, so he only takes half the damage." Ash said. Trip's smile dropped. Zorua shook his head, as if to clear his mind. His burn flared up, dealing some damage. The Dark-type narrowed his eyes, which began to glow blue. He reared back on his back legs, front paws in the air. A crimson aura appeared around his body, and he brought his paws down to the ground. A crimson force-field of energy appeared around his body and expanded across the whole battlefield.

"What the hell is that?" Lucas asked? He pulled out a Sinnoh Pokedex. _Night Daze. This signature move of Zorua and Zoroark releases a wave of energy that hits all other Pokemon. It also reduces accuracy._ The red wave slammed into Chandelure, pushing it back and dealing super effective damage. It also hit Throh and Lickilicky, knocking the latter to the ground. Throh looked back, brow furrowed.

"Throh doesn't take too much damage, 'cause Night Daze is Dark-type!" Masuku exclaimed. "Finish Lickilicky off with Superpower!" Throh glowed blue and lunged forward. He grabbed the Licking Pokemon, lifted it to his shoulders, and tossed him into the air. Gravity took hold of the pink Pokemon, bringing it back down very quickly. Throh lashed out with a fist, nonchalantly landing the final hit against Lickilicky's fleshy belly.

"Lickilicky's out too!" Lucas said, returning the Normal-type to its Pokeball. He walked over to stand with Barry and watch the rest of the fight play out. Trip stayed cool. "Chandelure, use Flame Burst on both of them!" "Wide Guard!" Masuku cried. Chandelure's main flame rose and flickered before unleashing a blast aimed at the ground. At the same time, Throh's hands glowed red. He raised them up in front of him, and then spread them out. A red barrier formed in front of himself and Zorua.

The Flame Burst hit the ground, literally bursting, and flames arced toward both of our heroes' Pokemon. However, the Wide Guard deflected the attack. "Wide Guard is a Rock-type move that protects from moves that hit more than one target!" Masuku called out.

"True. But if you keep using it, it'll stop working." Trip countered. "Flame Burst!" "Dodge!" Ash and Masuku called out together. "Throh doesn't have any attacks that will hit a Ghost-type!" Masuku said to Ash. "You'll have to take care of it on your own!" Ash nodded.

"Zorua, use Faint Attack!" Zorua padded up innocently, pointing behind Chandelure. "Shadow Ball!" But instead of listening to its trainer, Chandelure turned around, looking for what the Tricky Fox Pokemon was pointing at. Zorua smirked, lashing out.

Chandelure slid back, attention back on Zorua. The Dark-type's burn took a little more strength, leaving him panting. "Chandelure, end this fight with Overheat!" "Crap!" Masuku cried. "Dodge!" Both Pokemon dove to the side of the Luring Pokemon as it prepared to fire. However, instead of being launched the way Overheat _normally_ would, Chandelure's Overheat took the form of all the flames on its body glowing red. Then, Chandelure began spinning like a top, releasing the flames in every direction.

"Wide Guard!" Throh threw up a barrier once more, the flames dying harmlessly against it. "Damn. They deflected." Trip said quietly. "Now Chandelure's Special Attack is low. All our moves are weaker."

"Zorua! Dark Pulse!" "Dodge!" The Tricky Fox Pokemon fired the mass of energy, but Chandelure quickly moved out of the way. The attack hit Throh, pushing him back a little.

"Ha!" Trip gloated. "You attacked your teammate!" Masuku growled at him, but he just smirked. "Spin and use Shadow Ball!" The Luring Pokemon launched several purple spheres, intent on once more taking both opponents out at once.

"_Zorua's burn has already taken too much strength from him. He can't handle another attack."_ Masuku decided. "Wide Guard!" Throh tried using the barrier again. It came up, and deflected the first few Shadow Balls, but the barrier broke. Zorua took a direct hit, and Throh took a couple glancing blows.

"Ash?! Is Zorua ok?!" Masuku called. "…We're out." Masuku's spirits fell. He heard the sound of Zorua being returned to his Pokeball. "Well…damn." Trip smiled devilishly. "Chandelure, let's play! Restrict movement with Fire Spin!" Chandelure began spinning again, and began to circle around the Judo Pokemon. The Luring Pokemon returned to its original position, but Throh was trapped in a column of flames that burned as high as the trees behind them.

"Throh!" Masuku made to go forward, but the heat of the flames was intense. Masuku had a light bulb moment. "Reversal!" Throh grimaced in pain, but crossed his arms over his chest. He started glowing, and threw his arms out. A shockwave punched through the Fire Spin, freeing the Fighting-type. The wave collected the flames and washed over the Luring Pokemon.

"Normally, a Fighting-type move will have little effect on a Ghost Pokemon." Masuku began to explain. "Reversal becomes more powerful the weaker the user is. It can turn the tide of a battle. However, that doesn't mean it'll hit a Ghost-type. That's where the fire comes in. I wasn't _technically_ hitting you with a _Fighting_-type move. It was a _Fire_-type move." "That's all well and good, but this is over. You can't deal much damage by hitting me with my own attacks, and you don't have the energy to take them anyway." Trip reasoned.

"Take him _down_! Night Shade!" Chandelure's ominous yellow eyes glowed, and a giant, ghostly projection of the Luring Pokemon passed through Throh. "And _that's_ game." Trip said.

* * *

**There it is. I've been writing this on and off for about a week, and it was torture to get back into writing. But, here we are with a glorious new chapter. There's a new member to Team Ash, and we meet a couple new players in the race for Unova League Champion. Let me tell you, Harrison, Lucas, and Barry are just the tip of the iceberg. And you know Cheren's gonna be there. Anyway, next chapter will be a Gym Battle in Opelucid City. Also, I've calculated, and this will probably be closer to 30 chapters when I'm through, instead of 25. Somewhere in that range. Well, tell me what you thought. Ja Nae.**


	22. Opelucid City - The Legend Badge

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

**Sorry about the lack of an update. My computer decided to reset itself in the MIDDLE of my writing the new chapter. So I was EXTREMELY TICKED OFF, and pushed off rewriting it until now. But that's ok, because the show must go on! Last time, our heroes were trapped in a massive battle with Barry, Lucas, and Trip, with Trip leaving victorious. Barry tells them they're a half-day away from Opelucid City, and they quickly take their leave.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Opelucid City - The Legend Badge**

* * *

"That Barry guy was a friggin' liar." Masuku muttered. He and his friends had been walking for a full day across another bridge, and the younger Shiyousha was very peeved. However, they finally came within sight of the city. Opelucid sprawled out ahead of them, gleaming in the fading sunlight. It was a futuristic city of dark colored buildings and neon. As they walked into the square, they saw a familiar group.

"Damn it." Buki cursed. Ghetsis was standing atop a platform in the center of the square, surrounded by the citizens of Opelucid City. His armored flunkies stood guard in various places around the square. "That's correct! Our lord N has combined his power with the legendary Dragon-type Pokemon and intends to create a new world! We herald the return of the hero of Unova, founder of this region!" There was a chorus of whispers, most in awe of the man who could partner with a legendary Pokemon.

"Pokemon are different from people! They are living beings who contain unknown potential!" Ghetsis continued. "They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. They are beings whose greatness we should acknowledge! Beings who should be freed from our oppression!" The crowd began to cheer in agreement.

"People can't really be buying this, can they?" Masuku asked. Ash shook his head in disbelief. "We, Team Plasma, invite you to join us! We all want to create a new world where people and Pokemon are both free!" Ghetsis smiled evilly for an instant, like he was about to deliver a sick punch line. It flashed by so quickly that Ash, Buki, and Masuku were the only ones to see it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you now... Please, release your Pokemon. And so I end my plea to you today. Thank you one and all for your attention." He leaped from the platform and was immediately surrounded by his grunts. He began to walk away.

"Hey! He's right!" One citizen called out. "We need to release our Pokemon from their bondage!" There were more cheers, followed by flashes of light as several citizens began releasing their Pokemon. Ghetsis' smile crept back across his face. It grew as he got closer to our heroes.

"And what about you three?" He asked lowly. "Will you realize the error of your ways and release your Pokemon?" The three glared at the tall man. "You already know the answer." Ash said. "Pokemon are our friends, and our partners. We'll never let you separate us."

"We'll see." Ghetsis chuckled. "You might just change your opinion one day." Buki stepped to the side. "I think you guys were leaving." Ghetsis smirked. "Very well. I imagine we'll meet again soon enough."

* * *

"I didn't think the people of my city were so foolish." A man leaned against the bottom perimeter wall of the city. He was a tall, broad man, with short white hair. His eyes were piercing, and the bottom half of his face was covered by a righteous beard. He was dressed casually, in grey slacks and a white button-down shirt.

"They're a bunch of kids." In front of the man was a dark skinned girl sitting on a bench. She had long, bushy black hair, and wore simple clothes. The man shook his head. "Now, now, Iris. No need for that." He stroked his beard in thought. "That man was a good speaker. It isn't their fault they were taken in by talk."

"Whatever." Iris scoffed. The man was about to berate her again, but he saw three unfamiliar faces that didn't seem impressed with the Sage's speech. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked toward them, leaving the girl to follow.

"Hello there!" He called out. The three looked in his direction, not sure what to do. The man stepped up to them, towering over even the tallest of the three. "I'm sorry for the confusion, but I noticed that you were none too impressed by that man's speech." Buki smiled.

"That's an understatement." The man's eyebrow arched. "Oh? Is that so?" Ash nodded. "We don't think Pokemon and humans were meant to be separated." The man's beard shifted in a smile.

"It's good that there are trainers like you in the world. Might I ask what brings you to Opelucid City?" Masuku grinned. "We're here to challenge the Gym Leader! We're on the way to Vertress City for the Pokemon League!" The man's smile grew.

"Well! Do you know the way to the Gym?" Masuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…not really." Iris had just walked up behind the man, hearing Masuku's statement. "Jeez! You don't even know where you're going? You're such a kid!" Masuku's head snapped toward her.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Buki punched his brother, silencing him. "Be respectful." He turned to the man. "Would you be able to help us out?" "It just so happens that I _can_ help. See, I am the mayor of this fair city. You can call me Drayden." Buki smiled at the man.

"Excellent. I'm Buki Shiyousha, and this little moron is my brother, Masuku." He pointed to Ash. "This is our friend Ash, and his partner, Pikachu." Drayden's eyes widened.

"Shiyousha?" When Buki nodded, Drayden turned to Iris. "Bring these three to the house. I shall be there shortly." Iris cocked an eyebrow, but nodded. Our heroes shared curious glances, but they followed Iris away.

* * *

"I'm very sorry about how cryptic I was before." Drayden explained. His house was made just like all the other buildings, but the inside was very basic, and any furniture was sparse.

"I'm also sorry about the lack of seating. They don't call me the 'Spartan Mayor' for nothing." Ash shook his head. "That's fine. Listen, I'm not sure how much of our situation you know, but-" Drayden held up a hand.

"I know all about your situation. I didn't deem it something to talk about in the public of the square, so I brought you here. There's something you need to know." He paused. Buki's eyebrow quirked.

"I am the Opelucid City Gym Leader." Drayden declared. "What?!" Masuku exclaimed. "You're the mayor _and_ the Gym Leader?! _That's so cool_!" Iris scoffed. "You're such a kid.

"You wanna go?!" Masuku stared her down, about five inches taller. "Maybe I do!" She cried. "Iris, sit." Drayden said calmly. His voice held so much authority that Masuku sat down too.

"Iris is my apprentice. Therefore, she too is the Gym Leader." He let the three sink that in for a moment before continuing. "I believe a night of preparation would be welcomed, don't you?" Buki nodded.

"This is a lot to take in, and I _would_ like to form a strategy." Drayden nodded. "It's getting quite late, so the three of you should go to the Pokemon Center for rest. Meet the two of us back here tomorrow, and we shall go to the Gym."

* * *

"I can't believe we've nearly done it!" Masuku cried out. "Zip it, Masuku." Buki commanded. "It's late, and people are sleeping." It was around midnight, and the three had managed to get a room for the night.

"Sorry." The younger boy said meekly. "I just can't help it. It seems like we've been journeying forever, and we're finally at the last Gym. Tomorrow, we take one step closer to the Pokemon League." Buki smiled. "It _has_ been awhile." He turned to Ash. "It's time for strategy. Opelucid is a Dragon-type Gym, so we have to be careful. They don't have a lot of weaknesses."

"That's true." Ash said. "How do you think they battle?" Buki shrugged. "Who knows? It might be a double battle, or it might be us picking who we fight." Masuku looked thoughtful.

"Who're you gonna use, brother?" Buki thought back to his earlier Gym battles. "…I'm not sure. It depends on how the battles break down."

"That's a pretty smart tactic." Ash agreed. Buki pulled out a Pokeball. "There's some training I've gotta do. I'll be back."

"What about you, Ash?" "I'm not exactly sure, but I know I'll probably use Tranquill. She hasn't participated in a Gym Battle in a while. Sawsbuck hasn't been with us long, so I think I'll use him. Like Buki said, it all depends on how the Leaders decide to do battle."

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

"Here we are." Buki said. The three of them were standing in front of Drayden's house. They heard some kind of commotion in the back, so they went around to check it out. Behind the house was a bare patch of earth. Drayden was shirtless, standing opposite a Haxorus.

"Come now, Haxorus!" He declared. "Surely you can do better!" "_Hax_!" The Axe-Jaw Pokemon rushed the Leader. Drayden bent his knees and grabbed his Haxorus, and hefting the Dragon-type over his shoulder. The Pokemon hit the ground with a tremendous crash.

"…What?" Masuku asked, dumbfounded. "Hey!" Iris cried out from behind him. Masuku jumped, cursing. "Hehe. You're such a kid." He glared at her. "You're kinda cute when you're pissed." She laughed. "Didn't you know Drayden trains by wrestling with his Pokemon?" Masuku crossed his arms, not speaking.

"Now, Iris. Don't taunt the challengers." Drayden walked up, pulling on his shirt. As he started doing up the buttons, Ash noted all of the scars across the mayor's muscular chest. _"How the hell are we supposed to fight this guy?"_

"Now, how about we go to the Gym?" Drayden and Iris began walking away, and the three followed. They walked through the city, with the citizens chatting with both Leaders as they passed. Both were well liked. Even Iris. They made their way to a building that hadn't been touched by time. It was a large building with dragon murals painted along the side walls. The door was a sliding door framed by the mouths of two huge dragons; one black, one white.

"Welcome…to the Opelucid Gym!" Drayden exclaimed once they were inside. There was a large battlefield, surrounded by bleachers. Those bleachers were filled with citizens from every corner of the city.

"Iris and I always take challengers together. But not in the way you'd imagine." Drayden began to explain. "It will be a four-on-four Gym Battle, with Iris battling through the first two matches, and me taking the last two. I hope you've prepared." The boys nodded.

"If you don't mind, I think I'd like to go first." Ash said. Buki and Masuku nodded, stepping toward the bleachers. One of Ash's Pokeballs burst open, and Zorua knocked Pikachu to the ground.

"Sorry, Zorua." Ash said. "This isn't a battle for you. I promise, we'll play later." Ash tried to return Zorua to his Pokeball, but the Tricky Fox Pokemon dodged the little laser and jumped to the bleachers. He landed in Masuku's lap and started growling at Buki.

"Calm the hell down!" Buki cried. Ash laughed, and even Drayden cracked a smile. "Alright, Ash." Drayden began. "Are you ready?" The boy with the hat nodded. "Good. Iris?" "Of course I'm ready!" Drayden nodded.

"Then, as referee, I declare that the battle between the challenger, Ash Ketchum, and the Leader, Iris, will now begin!" "Go, Druddigon, I choose you!" Ash thought for a moment. "Then I choose Tranquill!" Both trainers threw their Pokeballs, releasing the Cave Pokemon, and the Wild Pigeon Pokemon.

"I'll start things off! Druddigon, use Dragon Rage!" The Dragon-type opened its mouth, forming a ball of turquoise energy. It launched the ball, which took the shape of a fiery dragon that flew across the field at Tranquill.

"Quick, dodge with Aerial Ace!" Tranquill flew at the Dragon Rage, gathering speed, before disappearing from view. She reappeared behind the attack and shot past Druddigon. The Dragon-type staggered back.

"Sky Attack!" Ash called. Tranquill began to glow bright and flew back toward her opponent. "Intercept with Rock Climb!" Iris called. Druddigon growled, slamming its hands onto the field floor. A pillar of rock shot up, smashing into the Flying-type. The large Pokemon lumbered up the rock toward Tranquill. The Wild Pigeon Pokemon was lying on top of the pillar, winded.

"You've gotta get up!" Ash yelled. Druddigon made it to the top of the rock and grinned down at Tranquill. "Dragon Claw!" The dark-skinned girl commanded. Druddigon's claws glowed blue and it slashed.

"Air Slash!" Tranquill flapped at the last second, sending a blade of air up at the Dragon-type. The blade clashed against Druddigon's rock-hard skin in a cloud of dust that threw the heavy Pokemon from the pillar to the ground.

"Drudd!" The Dragon-type cried out as it hit the ground. "Tranquill, get back in the air!" Ash commanded. Tranquill flapped weakly a few times, but had to alight back on the rock. On the ground, Druddigon was pulling itself to its feet.

"Hyper Beam!" Iris yelled. Druddigon opened its mouth wide and fired the deadly orange beam. "Dodge!" Ash called. Tranquill flapped a few more times, managing to get airborne for a moment, but she was blasted out of the air.

"Tranquill is unable to battle! Druddigon wins!" Ash frowned as he returned Tranquill to her Pokeball. "You did well, Tranquill. You did well." He replaced her Pokeball and grabbed another.

"Go, Sawsbuck!" The Season Pokemon appeared in Spring Form, bucking around. He caught sight of Druddigon and breathed heavily through his snout. "You ready for your Gym debut?" Sawsbuck snorted again and threw himself at Druddigon.

"Wait!" Ash called, but the deer-like Pokemon paid him no heed. He ran forward, head lowered. His horns began glowing bright silver as he charged. "Ha! What a kid! You can't even control your Pokemon! Luckily, I don't have that problem! Superpower!" Druddigon began running forward as well, glowing blue.

"Sawsbuck, we've gotta dodge that!" Sawsbuck jumped to the side, letting the Dragon-type rumble past. Then, the Season Pokemon launched itself at Druddigon's back, attack hitting home.

"That was Megahorn!" Ash said. Druddigon stumbled forward, falling to one knee. Then, the Cave Pokemon whipped around, striking out with its arm. Sawsbuck went flying, but righted itself and clambered back to his hooves.

"Damn it, Sawsbuck, you have to listen to me!" Ash called. The dual-type narrowed his eyes, horns starting to glow again. This time, the glow was green. He pounded the ground with his hoof before charging forward again.

"That Sawsbuck sure is eager to get knocked out, huh?" Iris taunted. "Druddigon, Night Slash!" The Dragon-type's claws glowed purple and he slashed out, scoring a hit on the deer-like Pokemon. At the same time, Sawsbuck made impact with Horn Leech, drawing health to itself to compensate.

"Drudd…" The Cave Pokemon fell down. "Druddigon is unable to battle!" Drayden cried. Sawsbuck smirked, panting. _"Damn. Sawsbuck took a lot of damage in that fight. And what's worse, he won't listen to me. I might have to switch out."_

"That's fine!" Iris called out. "You did well, Druddigon." She put his Pokeball away. "Now you get to meet the star of my show!" She threw the ball. "Go, Fraxure!"

"Sawsbuck, return!" The Season Pokemon glared at his trainer, but obeyed. "Let's give 'em hell, Pikachu." The Mouse Pokemon leaped from Ash's shoulder to the battlefield.

"Let's start off strong! Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran forward, leaving a silver streak behind him. "Dragon Pulse!" Fraxure fired the blue burst of energy at the speeding Electric-type.

"Agility!" Pikachu slid to the side so fast it was unseen, and the yellow Pokemon continued on his path. "Get ready with Dragon Claw!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon's claws glowed. "Dragon Dance!" Fraxure moved its arms around fluidly, storing up power.

"Go!" Fraxure took off at Pikachu, moving faster than before. "Pikachu, Thunder Punch!" The two collided in the center of the field and shot past one another. They stood ten feet from each other, Fraxure with arms crossed over his chest, and Pikachu with one tiny fist raised in the air. Sparks flared up across Fraxure.

"Yes! Static!" Ash cheered. "Now, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu grabbed his cheeks, pulling forth energy stored in his red pouches, and let loose a powerful electric shock. It knocked Fraxure to the ground, but the Dragon-type didn't look too fazed.

"Electricity doesn't harm dragons." Iris taunted. "You'll have to try a lot harder to take down my Fraxure." Ash's brows furrowed. _"What should I do?"_ "Pikachu, get back!" The Mouse Pokemon looked at his trainer, confused, but did as he was told. He jumped back to his trainer's side.

"Let's go, Primeape!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon appeared, looking happy to fight. "You ready?" The Fighting-type nodded. "Good, Close Combat!" Primeape moved forward quickly, stepping like a boxer. He lashed out at the paralyzed Dragon-type with super-speed, gloved paws a blur. Primeape ended the combo by turning in a vicious spin kick that knocked the Axe Jaw Pokemon away.

"Fraxure!" Iris called. The smaller Pokemon pulled itself back up, panting. "Good! Use Dragon Dance!" Fraxure began moving its arms around again, gathering energy. "Giga Impact!" Orange energy spiraled around the Dragon-type, followed by a burst of purple energy as Fraxure threw itself at Primeape.

"Damn! That second Dragon Dance really powered up Fraxure's speed!" Ash cried. "Primeape, Swagger!" Primeape smirked and breathed in deeply. His eyes glowed red, and so did Fraxure's. The Dragon-type kept on course with its attack, but flew over the Pig Monkey Pokemon's shoulder at the last second.

"Seismic Toss!" As Fraxure slammed into the field, Primeape rushed up behind it. Orange sparks mixed with the yellow sparks around the Dragon-type, keeping it in place. Primeape reached around Fraxure, grabbing one of its tusks, and also grabbing its tail. The Fighting-type leaped up high and threw Fraxure back at the ground.

"Fraxure is unable to battle!" Iris pouted, returning her Pokemon to its ball. "Your turn." She said to Drayden. "Excellent." The man said as he and Iris switched places. "I'm afraid you'll find it a little harder to defeat me. I've got just a little bit more experience." He threw his first Pokeball. "I've been training Pokemon since before there _were_ Pokeballs!"

* * *

"Druddigon, start off with Dragon Tail!" The Cave Pokemon appeared once more, tail aglow. It ran forward at Primeape, much faster than Iris'. "Cross Chop!" Ash countered. Primeape dashed forward and leapt, arms crossed over his face. He came down as Druddigon whirled around, Cross Chop meeting Dragon Tail.

The two forces opposed for a moment before Primeape was thrown back. He hit the ground and his Pokeball shot a laser that brought him back. His next Pokeball burst open, revealing Sawsbuck.

"Dragon Tail," Drayden explained. "It is a move that switches the opponent's Pokemon. Other moves with this effect are Roar, Circle Throw, and Whirlwind." Ash grit his teeth. _"This isn't good. Sawsbuck won't listen to me."_

"Superpower!" Druddigon ran forward, glowing blue. Sawsbuck used superior speed to put distance between himself and his opponent. "Sawsbuck, you've gotta listen!" Ash called. "Nature Power!" Sawsbuck rolled his eyes, but slid to a stop and began to focus. Small, shining particles of energy began to flow from the building, seeping into the Season Pokemon's fur.

"_Go!_" Ash yelled. Sawsbuck smirked and opened his mouth, firing three rapid blasts. The blasts swirled around Druddigon, trapping it in a column of energy. "That's Tri-Attack!" Ash said. Druddigon cried out, throwing its arms out. The energy exploded away from it and dispersed.

"Go, Dragon Claw!" "Meet it with Horn Leech!" Sawsbuck, seeming to listen to his trainer, ran forward with his horns glowing. Druddigon moved as fast as it could, eager to strike out against the Season Pokemon.

The two met with Druddigon catching Sawsbuck by the horns. The dual-type began sapping energy from his opponent, but he was taking damage at the same time… When the two Pokemon broke apart, Sawsbuck looked weaker than before.

"What?" Ash was puzzled. "Druddigon has the ability, Rough Skin." Drayden said. "Whenever a Pokemon makes contact with my Druddigon, it sustains damage." He looked at his Druddigon.

"Go!" The Cave Pokemon ran forward again, taking advantage of Sawsbuck's weakness. "Energy Ball!" Ash commanded. Sawsbuck jumped back, firing multiple green spheres of energy. Druddigon continued forward, like the Grass-type attacks were paper wads.

"You'll have to do something much more substantial to harm _my_ Pokemon!" Drayden called. "Druddigon, Superpower!" The Cave Pokemon lumbered on, body glowing blue.

"Sawsbuck, dodge and use Jump Kick!" The dual-type raced around the slower Pokemon, charging. Sawsbuck leaped up, crashing his back hooves against Druddigon's head. The Dragon-type fell to its knees and Sawsbuck leapt off, sustaining minor damage from Druddigon's Rough Skin.

"Now!" Drayden commanded. As Sawsbuck landed, Druddigon's glowing fist collided against him, knocking him across the field. The Season Pokemon clambered back to his hooves, severely weakened.

"Damn." Ash muttered. He grabbed another Pokeball. "Return!" Sawsbuck disappeared. "Go, Primeape!" The Fighting-type appeared with a burst of light and a flurry of punches aimed at the Cave Pokemon.

"It seems as though Primeape is a little sore about being ejected from the battle." Drayden noted. "Dragon Tail." Druddigon seemed to grin before starting forward with a glowing tail.

"Not this time!" Ash declared. "Swagger!" Primeape's eyes glowed red as he continued running head on at the Dragon-type. The Cave Pokemon's eyes glowed as well and it started to stumble. "Good going, Primeape!" Ash said.

"Use Low Kick, and then Close Combat!" Primeape cried out as he slid across the field, taking Druddigon's legs out from under it. The larger Pokemon began to topple over onto the Pig Monkey Pokemon, but Primeape lashed out with furious blows that pushed Druddigon into the air. Primeape toughed out the minimal damage he took from the Rough Skin.

Finally, the Fighting-type onslaught ended with Druddigon flying halfway across the battlefield, coming to a rest in the center circle. Iris raised a hand in Ash's direction. "Druddigon is unable to battle! Primeape wins!" Drayden nodded before returning Druddigon to its Pokeball.

"You are quite the trainer, Ash Ketchum. I look forward to seeing how you stand against my strongest Pokemon." He pulled out his second Pokeball. "Haxorus! I choose you!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon roared, shaking its head back and forth. Its jaw blades made ominous noises through the air.

"Begin!" Iris cried. "Dragon Claw." Drayden said calmly. The Dragon-type charged, far faster than Druddigon, as its claws began to glow as it grew nearer to Primeape.

"Low Kick, then Seismic Toss!" Ash called out. Primeape rushed the Dragon-type before throwing himself across the ground. Haxorus tried to slash the Pig Monkey Pokemon, but Primeape soared through the Dragon-type's clawed arms, sweeping the larger Pokemon's legs from under it. As Haxorus fell Primeape leaped to his feet, catching the Axe Jaw Pokemon in the process. The Fighting-type jumped, throwing Haxorus to the ground.

Drayden nodded. "Primeape is very powerful." Ash grinned. "I know." The Gym Leader smiled. "Outrage." The dust had begun to settle when Haxorus' form appeared in the cloud. As the Dragon-type walked out, its eyes started to glow. It ran, zigzagging at the Fighting-type.

"Primeape, Thrash!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon leaped at the larger Pokemon as both began to lash out with powerful hits that knocked their respective opponent back a few inches before the onslaught would continue. Finally both Pokemon slid backward after a particularly powerful hit. Both of them had dark circles under their eyes, signifying confusion.

"How fortuitous that both our Pokemon have become confused." Drayden said with a smile. "Haxorus!" He said, sternly. The Axe Jaw Pokemon blinked, snapping to attention. "Good." The Leader praised. "Dual Chop!" Haxorus moved forward again, delivering two open-handed strikes that tossed Primeape to the ground. The Fighting-type struggled to sit up, all signs of confusion gone.

"Yeah!" Ash cheered. "Let's take 'em down, Primeape! Cross Chop!" Primeape jumped up and took his fighting stance. He crossed his arms, paws glowing. "Haxorus, Dual Chop." Drayden commanded. The Axe Jaw Pokemon moved forward in a serpentine line.

"Go!" Ash called. Primeape launched himself. At the same time, Haxorus crossed its arms and leaped. The two powerhouses clashed before passing each other. Both stood, backs to one another, staring into the eyes of the opposing trainer. Haxorus flicked its tail nonchalantly. Primeape looked into Drayden's eyes. The Fighting-type's eye twitched and he fell.

"Primeape is unable to battle! Haxorus wins!" Ash stared into Haxorus' eyes. "Return." He said. He only looked away from the Dragon-type when the Pig Monkey Pokemon was safely back inside his Pokeball.

"I guess I'll need my strongest Pokemon to beat your Haxorus." Ash called to Drayden. The Leader smiled. "It would be well advised." Pikachu jumped from his spot beside his trainer to stand in the middle of the field, facing Drayden. "It's time to start, right buddy?" Ash asked. "Pi-pika!" The yellow Pokemon's cheeks sparked.

"Very well then." Drayden said. "Haxorus! Dragon Pulse!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon whirled around, firing a sphere of blue energy at the small Pokemon. "Dodge with Agility!" Ash called out. Pikachu nodded before he darted out of the way of the blast.

Pikachu raced around, leaving multiple after-images. Haxorus tried to follow the Mouse Pokemon with its eyes. "Draco Meteor." The Dragon-type seemed to grin before shooting an orange burst of energy at the ceiling. Ash's eyes widened as he thought back to his experience in Twist Mountain.

The blast seemed to explode outward, and meteors streaked down around the field. Pikachu kept up the Agility, dodging many of the blasts. However, in order to dodge one particular rock, he darted into the path of another. The impact sent him sprawling across the dirt.

"Good work, Haxorus." Drayden said. "Swords Dance, into Dragon Dance." Haxorus' claws began to glow purple before extending an extra inch. Then, the Dragon-type moved its arms around fluidly to build power. "Dragon Claw." The Axe Jaw Pokemon's claws glowed blue as it charged at the Electric-type, who was struggling to get up.

"Pikachu, Thunder Punch!" The yellow Pokemon got to his feet shakily before losing a burst of sparks from his cheeks that formed around his tiny fist. "You'll have to do something better than that to stop Haxorus!"

Pikachu crouched down, holding himself up with one paw. He pushed forward into an Agility-fed sprint. Just as Pikachu threw his punch the sparks expanded into a large fist made of electrical current. Haxorus met the powerful attack with one of its clawed hands, leaving a trail of fire as it cleaved the air.

Haxorus grabbed hold of Pikachu with the claw that met the Thunder Punch, throwing the electric rodent into the air. When Pikachu came down, the Dragon-type slashed its other claw horizontally across the small Pokemon's body. Pikachu flew across the field into Ash's arms.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Iris called. "Haxorus wins! Both trainers are down to one Pokemon each!" _"Damn."_ Ash thought. _"I know Sawsbuck really started listening to me in this battle, but I don't know if it'll last. If he tries to do everything on his own, we'll lose."_ He shook his head. _"I just have to believe in my Pokemon!"_

"Sawsbuck, I choose you!" The Season Pokemon appeared, horns leveled at the Dragon-type. "You ready, Sawsbuck?" The dual-type snorted, nodding slowly. "Your Sawsbuck's taken quite a bit of damage." Drayden noted. He acknowledged Haxorus. "They'll have to hit us pretty hard to achieve victory, right Haxorus?!" The Dragon-type roared.

"Dragon Pulse!" "Energy Ball!" Both Pokemon launched spheres of energy that clashed in the center of the field. The opposing forces seemed to become one for a second before exploding. Sawsbuck jumped into the smoke.

"Haxorus, watch out!" Drayden commanded. "Jump Kick!" Ash called. Sawsbuck appeared from the smoke behind Haxorus, kicking out with his hind hooves. He launched the Axe Jaw Pokemon into the cloud of dust.

"Now, Energy Ball!" Sawsbuck fired multiple spheres of green energy into the cloud, not only in an attempt to hit Haxorus, but also to clear the smoke. The cloud dispersed revealing Haxorus standing tall.

"Good!" Drayden called. "Dragon Claw!" Haxorus nodded before speeding forward. However, it was a little slower than before. Had the Dragon Dance finally wore off? Regardless, Haxorus was charging at Sawsbuck, claws glowing.

"Horn Leech!" Ash commanded. Sawsbuck rushed forward recklessly, horns glowing. Haxorus brought its claws forward, trailing flames, to grab Sawsbuck's horns. The two grappled, trying to gain the upper hand in their stalemate. Energy slowly transferred from the Dragon-type to Sawsbuck.

Finally, the two broke apart with Haxorus looking worse for wear. "You've done well in this battle, Ash Ketchum." Drayden commended. "But I grow tired. Haxorus! Outrage!" Haxorus glowed red and ran forward, intent upon ending the match.

"Sawsbuck, use Nature Power!" Sawsbuck raised his head, drawing energy from the ground into his horns. Then, he tightened his muscles and the ground under him was pushed down in a circle around him. Shockwaves rolled across the field.

"Nature Power turned into Earthquake!" Iris shouted, holding on tightly to the podium in front of her. Haxorus was thrown into the air, still moving toward Sawsbuck. "Go, Jump Kick!" Ash called. Sawsbuck jumped around, letting Haxorus fly at him before lashing out with his back legs. The rate of Haxorus' descent made the Jump Kick even more powerful, and the Axe Jaw Pokemon rocketed back across the field. It came to rest in front of its trainer.

"Haxorus is unable to battle!" Iris declared. "Sawsbuck wins! The winner is the challenger, Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!" Ash jumped up in jubilation before running onto the field. He latched onto the Season Pokemon, hugging his neck.

"You did great, Sawsbuck!" Drayden walked across the field as the crowd cheered. Iris joined him. "Ash." The hat-wearing trainer turned. "You did very well. Not many trainers have such a masterful command over their Pokemon. You've defeated Iris and I, meaning I have to bestow the Legend Badge upon you." He handed the small badge to Ash. It was shaped almost like a medieval mace, and was black.

Ash put the Legend Badge in its place in his Badge Case, grinning like a fool. Drayden cocked an eyebrow. "You now have eight Badges. This qualifies you to enter the Unova League Championships in Vertress City." Ash nodded. "I can tell you are a masterful trainer, and I feel you'll do well in the tournament." Ash smiled.

"Thanks, Drayden." "You did pretty well, for a kid." Iris said. Ash ignored her. Masuku and Buki ran over to the group, each slapping the victor a high five. "That was a great match, Ash." Buki praised.

"You kicked _so_ much ass!" Masuku declared. "I can't wait for my turn!" Drayden smiled. "Well, how about this, Masuku? I would like to take a break for lunch, and then we'll have your battle. Then, if your brother doesn't mind, we can have his fight in the morning. Does that sound like something you could agree to?" He asked, turning to the older Shiyousha.

Buki nodded. "No problem." Drayden clapped his hands once, drawing the attention of the spectators. "We'll break for lunch, and to heal our Pokemon! Come back to the Gym in two hours and we'll start the next fight!"

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

* * *

"The battle between the Leaders, Drayden and Iris, and the challenger, Masuku Shiyousha, will begin soon! Please take your seats and get ready for a great battle!" An announcer called out over the PA system. There was a great clamoring as all the spectators made their way back to the benches. Masuku stood in his place on the field, with Iris opposite him. Drayden stood on the raised podium off to the sidelines.

"If both trainers are ready," Drayden began with his booming voice, "Battle shall commence!" "Go, Druddigon!" Iris called. "Let's start off strong, Tynamo!" "Strong?" Iris taunted. "I can't believe you'd bring a Pokemon like that to a Gym battle against the strongest Gym Leader in the Unova Region!" Drayden raised an eyebrow at the dark-skinned girl.

"I mean…_one_ of the strongest Gym Leaders." She said sheepishly. "What's wrong with Tynamo?!" Masuku demanded, fire in his eyes. "I believe in _all_ my Pokemon! Tynamo is a beloved friend!" Tynamo looked back at him, eyes shining with equal intensity.

"Last chance to switch out. I won't even count that as one of your four Pokemon." Iris said arrogantly. Masuku glared at her. "Give 'em hell, Tynamo! Charge Beam!" A shining orb appeared in front of Tynamo's cross-shaped mouth before becoming a small beam that shot across the field and zapped Druddigon. The Cave Pokemon shook off the attack, not seeming to be much effected.

"Didn't you learn from your friend's battle?" Iris asked. "Electricity isn't effective against Dragons!" "Doesn't matter." Masuku growled back. "Typing isn't everything! Charge Beam! Keep firing!" Tynamo shot beam after beam, raining them down on Druddigon, who didn't move.

"I'm telling you, Druddigon won't fall from something so _weak_." Masuku turned red with rage at the young Leader. "Charge Beam raises Tynamo's Special Attack. We've hit Druddigon with several blasts, and they should be getting stronger. It'll work if we just keep believing!"

"You won't get the chance. Sorry." Iris sang. "Druddigon, Dragon Rage!" The Dragon-type grinned and launched a burst of blue fire that took the shape of a dragon. It washed over the small EleFish Pokemon, bringing it to the ground.

"Tynamo is unable to battle. Druddigon wins." Drayden said. He looked at Iris. _"It seems she still doesn't understand the bond between a trainer and his Pokemon. She can never be Champion at her current level."_

"Damn it!" Masuku cried. "Return." A red beam from his Pokeball brought Tynamo back to safety. "You did great, buddy." He looked to his brother in the stands. Buki nodded, and Masuku took a deep breath. _"I know, bro. I've gotta calm down and focus."_

"Go! Gurdurr!" The Muscular Pokemon smirked at the Dragon-type, swinging his beams around. "Fighting-types?" Iris asked. "My Druddigon's gonna break those beams even more!" "That's what you think!" Masuku cried. "Gurdurr, Rock Throw!" Gurdurr slammed one of his half beams onto the ground, throwing up a large rock. Then, he spun around, breaking the rock into pieces and propelling them with his other half beam.

"Druddigon, get rid of those rocks with Dragon Rage!" The Cave Pokemon crossed its arms in front of its head. Then, it threw its arms to the side, blasting the Dragon-type attack from its mouth. The blue flames scorched many of the rocks, but a few powered through to crash against the Dragon-type.

"Hammer Arm!" "Gurdurr!" Gurdurr ran at Druddigon. "Pretty ballsy, kid." Iris declared. "Superpower!" The Cave Pokemon glowed blue and began to charge at the Fighting-type. Druddigon roared as it threw a massive punch. Gurdurr ducked under the attack, bringing one of his beams high. The beam crashed into Druddigon's head, sending it into the air. Gurdurr let the force of his blow bring him into the air, where he turned to crash the other beam into the Cave Pokemon. Druddigon crashed to the ground.

"Druddigon!" Iris called. The Dragon-type was already trying to get to its feet. "Drudd!" Iris grinned. "Let's hit back with Rock Climb!" Druddigon punched the ground, bringing a pillar of rock out of the ground under Gurdurr. The Muscular Pokemon brought his beams down on the rock to keep his footing. The Cave Pokemon began to lumber up the incline.

"Superpower!" Iris said. "You too, Gurdurr!" Masuku commanded. Both Pokemon glowed blue. Gurdurr, instead of waiting for Druddigon to come to the top, threw himself off the rock. He quickly fell toward Druddigon, who was unprepared. It tried to rear back and punch, but lost its balance. It began to fall. Gurdurr capitalized by bringing both glowing beams down on the Cave Pokemon's head. The Dragon-type was thrown straight down, impacting so hard against the ground that it broke under the massive Pokemon.

"Druddigon is unable to battle! It goes to Gurdurr!" Drayden boomed. Iris frowned in disbelief. "Druddigon didn't land a hit on his Pokemon." It was Masuku's turn to mock. "You should know better than to get up-close and personal with a Fighting-type. Fighting-types are powerful and proud, and there isn't any other type that can match their raw determination and strength." Iris glared at him.

"Don't underestimate the power of Dragons." She warned. "Go, Fraxure!" The small Dragon-type glared at Gurdurr, who stood barely taller. The Muscular Pokemon glared back. They stalked toward one another, till they stood less than a foot apart. They glared into each other's eyes, both seeing flames in their opponent's gaze.

"Wow. It's like they can feel our determination." Masuku marveled. "You ready, Gurdurr." The Pokemon gave an almost imperceptible nod, still staring at the Dragon-type. "Fraxure?" The smaller Pokemon nodded, before jumping back. Gurdurr leaped backward as well.

"Dragon Claw!" Iris called out. Fraxure's claws glowed as the Axe Jaw Pokemon threw itself at Gurdurr, clearing the distance in seconds. "Dynamic Punch!" Masuku commanded. Gurdurr threw a punch, but Fraxure soared past his extended arm and scored its flaming claws across the Muscular Pokemon's chest.

"Gurdurr!" Masuku cried out as his Pokemon fell back. "Hmph." Iris grunted with satisfaction. Masuku felt his upper lip quiver into a snarl. "Get up!" He commanded. Gurdurr stood, grasping his chest.

"We're gonna try a new tactic, alright, Gurdurr?" The Muscular Pokemon nodded. "Good! Substitute!" Gurdurr's body flashed bright for a second. When the light died, two Gurdurr stood side-by-side. "Now, Focus Punch!" Both Gurdurr crouched, putting one fist on the ground.

"Fraxure, Dragon Claw!" The small Dragon threw itself at the Gurdurr on the left, claws blazing. It slashed out at Gurdurr, who seemed to pop and vanish. Fraxure went to turn only to get hit in the face by the powerful Fighting-type move. The Axe Jaw Pokemon was lifted into the air and sent flying across the field.

"Outrage!" Fraxure flipped in the air, landing on its feet as it skidded back a few feet. It started to run forward, glowing blue. "Hammer Arm!" Gurdurr spun around, bringing both halves of his beam on a collision course with the Dragon-type's head. Fraxure ducked, barely dodging both beams, and unleashed a flurry of blows that the Muscular Pokemon couldn't defend against.

"Gurdurr!" Masuku called. "Gur!" The Fighting-type fell back, breathing heavily. Fraxure stood, panting, now confused. "Low Kick!" Gurdurr's leg shot out, knocking the Dragon-type's legs out from under it. Gurdurr brought one arm up, crashing his beam into the smaller Pokemon and throwing it away from him.

"Get up!" Masuku demanded. Gurdurr used his beams to get back to his feet. "Stone Edge!" Fraxure was getting back to its feet. Gurdurr leaped up, bringing his beams down on the ground in front of Fraxure. Sharp rocks burst out of the ground at the smaller Pokemon's feet, propelling it into the air. Fraxure fell back to the ground and laid still.

"Fraxure is unable to battle! Gurdurr wins." _"I can't believe it."_ Iris thought. _"Both my Pokemon were beaten by that Gurdurr. That Pokemon is really strong."_ She brought Fraxure back to its Pokeball and stepped back. Drayden took her place.

* * *

"It was quite impressive how your Gurdurr was able to take out both of Iris' Pokemon. You've trained it well." Masuku nodded. "Thank you." He smiled. "He's been with me since I caught him as a Timburr. He's the second Pokemon I ever caught." Drayden nodded. "I hope you don't think me too harsh, but it's time to end Gurdurr's winning streak!" He threw his Pokeball. "Haxorus!"

_"Damn."_ Buki thought from the stands. _"He's serious, starting with his strongest Pokemon off the bat. Masuku's gonna have to be careful." _The crowd cheered louder, excited to see the mayor so pumped up.

"Not harsh at all!" Masuku declared. "Give it your best shot! We won't crumple so easily!" "We'll see! Haxorus, Guillotine!" Haxorus cried out as its jaw blades glowed blue and extended. The Axe Jaw Pokemon ran in, swinging its head around in an attempt to catch his blades against the Fighting-type.

"Gurdurr, dodge!" Masuku commanded. Gurdurr started to backpedal, making small jumps backward to evade Haxorus' frenzied attacks. Haxorus spun, swiping its tail behind Gurdurr's legs. The Fighting-type began to fall, and Haxorus slashed a blade across Gurdurr's chest.

"It's a One-Hit KO!" Iris called. "Gurdurr is unable to battle! Haxorus wins!" Masuku growled as he brought Gurdurr back to his ball. "That was cheap." He muttered. He threw another ball. "Pignite, I choose you!" The Fire Pig Pokemon appeared, ready for battle.

"Flamethrower!" Masuku commanded. Pignite inhaled, blowing a powerful stream of fire from his mouth, while smoke poured from his snout. "Dragon Claw." Drayden said calmly. Haxorus slashed through the flames, which formed around its claws. The Dragon-type crossed the distance between the two Pokemon in a few steps.

"Hax!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon brought his claws down on the Fire-type. "Roar!" Masuku called out. Pignite cried out, waves of energy washing over the Axe-Jaw Pokemon. The waves pushed Haxorus back slightly before bouncing it into its Pokeball. Another ball burst open on Drayden's belt, releasing his Druddigon.

_"One cheap trick deserves another."_ Masuku thought with a chuckle. "Now, Pignite! Fire Thrust!" Pignite snorted, blowing a small amount of smoke. He ran at the larger Dragon, hands ignited. Drayden smirked. "Dragon Tail."

Druddigon grinned, whirling around and striking out with its tail as Pignite drew close. The Fire Pig Pokemon tried to block with his flaming hands, but he was thrown back. He was sucked into his Pokeball, and another of Masuku's Pokeballs opened. Scraggy was now on the field instead of Pignite.

"You aren't the first trainer to come in here with a gimmick." Drayden promised. He smiled. "Shall we continue?" Masuku rolled his eyes. "Scraggy, let's use Head Smash!" The Shedding Pokemon smirked, blue light enveloping his body. The light made him seem black and white. Scraggy jumped up high and began to fall at Druddigon, corkscrewing his body as he did so.

"Superpower!" Druddigon glowed blue as he threw a punch at the small Pokemon. Scraggy slammed into Druddigon's fist, sustaining quite a lot of damage from the Fighting-type move. "Payback!" The blue glow around Scraggy became purple for a second and the Shedding Pokemon shot past Druddigon's fist.

Scraggy's impact knocked Druddigon to the ground and the dual-type leapt away from his opponent. He kneeled down, panting from the severe damage he took from his own assault.

"Masuku!" Buki called from the sidelines. "Scraggy's taken serious damage! Superpower was super effective against his typing, and he also took damage from Head Smash!" "Not to mention," Drayden began. "He took damage from Druddigon's Rough Skin ability." Masuku groaned. "Damn it." He watched Scraggy stand.

"We'll just have to keep fighting won't we, Scraggy?" The small Pokemon nodded, pulling up on the baggy skin around his ankles. "Druddigon's taken a lot of damage too. Head Smash is Scraggy's most powerful move, and it was made stronger by Payback." Masuku muttered.

"Time to get up, Druddigon." Drayden commanded. "I don't want to mess around anymore. Superpower." Druddigon made itself stand. It glowed as it began to lumber toward the small Pokemon.

"Charge!" Masuku exclaimed. Scraggy looked at his trainer for a second before shrugging and running at the large Dragon-type. The two were closing in on one another and Druddigon raised a huge, scaly fist to lash out at the dual-type.

"Low Kick!" Scraggy dropped, sliding under the Cave Pokemon and taking its legs out from under it. The massive Pokemon crashed into the ground with Scraggy safely out from under it. "Rock Climb!"

The Shedding Pokemon put his hands on the ground, sending Druddigon on a trip high into the sky on top of a spire of rock. Scraggy stood by the base of the pillar, ready to climb.

"Not yet!" Masuku called. "Focus Punch!" Scraggy shrugged again, crouching down. He placed a fist against the ground. "Wake up!" Drayden commanded. Druddigon began to stir, crawling to its feet on top of the spire.

"Now!" Masuku commanded. "Focus Punch!" Scraggy hauled off and crashed his fist against the rock. A crack ran up the entirety of the pillar, causing it to shatter. Druddigon began to fall, surrounded by chunks of rock.

"Jump!" Masuku shouted. Scraggy nodded, jumping onto one of the falling boulders. He leaped from rock to rock, slowly climbing higher and higher as the Dragon-type fell farther down.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Once Scraggy was higher in the air than Druddigon, the Shedding Pokemon jumped into open air. He flipped, pointing his knee down at the larger Pokemon, and dropped. Just as Druddigon hit the ground Scraggy slammed into it, pushing the Dragon down deeper into the ground.

Druddigon opened its mouth in a silent roar, eyes blank. "Druddigon is unable to battle!" Iris exclaimed. "Scraggy wins!" "Wait!" Drayden called. He pointed to Scraggy, who hadn't crawled from the crater yet. Iris jumped down to inspect the small Pokemon.

"I was wrong!" Iris said, climbing from the hole. "Due to Druddigon's Rough Skin ability, we have a double knockout! No winner! The match will be decided by Pignite vs Haxorus!" Both trainers brought their defeated Pokemon back to their respective Pokeballs before clutching their last.

"Scraggy was rather impressive." Drayden complimented. "It would seem that Ash Ketchum is not the only impressive trainer out of the three of you." "My brother is even better than I am." Masuku promised. Drayden nodded.

"Then I look forward to our battle in the morning. However, I also look forward to the climax of our battle." He threw his Pokeball. "Go, Haxorus!" "I choose you, Pignite!" The two Pokemon faced off, ready for battle.

"Let's go then! Pignite, use Flare Blitz!" "_Pig!_" Pignite launched himself at the Axe Jaw Pokemon, surrounded by dark-red flames. "Haxorus, Giga Impact!" Yellow light exploded around the Dragon-type as it ran forward to meet Pignite. The energy formed into a yellow starburst that swirled around Haxorus' body. A ball of purple energy expanded from the center of the starburst, enveloping the Pokemon's body.

The two Pokemon met in the center of the field, grappling for dominance. Haxorus started pushing Pignite backward. Pignite's flames grew hotter and more intense, suddenly burning blue. The Fire Pig Pokemon began to step forward, now pushing back on Haxorus.

"Seems like they're even!" Masuku bragged. "I wouldn't be so sure of that." Drayden said. Masuku looked back at his Pokemon. Pignite was taking subtle recoil damage from being surrounded by the blue flames, which continued to flicker higher and higher.

"It looks like your Pignite is losing control of his own flames. Maybe I was wrong about you, Masuku Shiyousha. A Fire-type losing to its own flame is a sign of weakness in the trainer. You weren't able to train your Pokemon to withstand its own attack." Masuku's eyes widened.

"That's not true! Pignite and I have a bond every bit as strong as the bond I have with my brother! He's family! He won't be beaten by those flames, and he sure as hell won't be beaten by that Dragon!" Pignite screamed in agreement, flames burning even brighter, almost white.

The Fire Pig Pokemon let his grip slacken, allowing Haxorus to get closer. Then, he re-tightened his grip and brought his head forward. His head crashed into Haxorus', and both Pokemon were thrown backward. The Fire-type stood back up, panting heavily. Haxorus was on his feet, barely damaged, with orange sparks surging around it.

"Haxorus can't move! Let's go, Pignite!" Masuku ordered. "Flame Charge!" The Fire Pig Pokemon stomped the ground angrily, throwing up a dust cloud. Red beams of light shot out of the cloud, followed by Pignite who was once more encased in flames.

"Outrage!" Drayden commanded. The sparks around Haxorus disappeared and the Axe Jaw Pokemon once more rushed to meet Pignite. Pignite threw himself shoulder first into the Dragon-type, who lashed out with a powerful fist. Haxorus knocked Pignite back, flames disabled, and continued assaulting. Two more hits and Pignite rolled back. Haxorus was rooted to the spot, totally confused.

"Pignite!" Masuku called. The Fire Pig Pokemon shook, trying to clear his head. "It's no use, Masuku Shiyousha." Drayden promised. "You've fought hard, but Pignite has sustained far too much damage to possibly defeat Haxorus. Every attack you've brought our way has been taken with minimal damage, and we are still very much able to continue. You are not."

"I thought old people were supposed to be wise!" Masuku challenged. "You should know not to underestimate a challenger! I've beaten eight Gym Leaders trying to get to you. The big dog. I've beaten them with Pignite at my side, and I've got the Badges to prove it! But it doesn't mean anything unless I've got that Legend Badge in my case! So we're not gonna back down! Pignite and I will burn this Gym to the ground if we have to!"

Drayden couldn't help but smile at the conviction in the young boy's words. "You remind me of myself when I was your age. I had that same cocky spirit." "Then what happened?!" Masuku demanded. "I had sense knocked into me!" He shouted. Haxorus blinked, its trainer's cry bringing it out of confusion.

"End this, Haxorus! Outrage!" Haxorus charged in again, its opponent finally standing. "Pignite, Flare Blitz!" Pignite screamed again, powering up. This time the flames that burst around him were already blue. He ran in, ready to do as his trainer commanded, '_burn the Gym down._' Pignite jumped at Haxorus, intent on finishing the match, but Haxorus had another idea.

The Axe Jaw Pokemon leapt deftly over Pignite, landing behind him. Pignite's flames died down as Haxorus whirled. Pignite turned too, hands ablaze in Fire Thrust. He caught the Dragon-type's blow, straining to hold back Haxorus' massive power.

"We can't lose, Pignite!" Masuku cheered. "You can do it!" Pignite glared up at the Dragon-type, slowly being forced closer to the ground. Masuku's face fell. _"He's gonna need some kinda power boost if he's gonna do this…"_

"Don't avert your eyes." Drayden said. "You must see this to crush that cocky attitude once and for all. Think of this as a life lesson. Now, Haxorus, _finish it!_" Haxorus tore a fist out of Pignite's grasp and threw its last Outrage-fueled punch.

"_Pignite!_" Masuku cried desperately. The Fire Pig Pokemon was about to be overwhelmed when a bright glow overtook him and threw Haxorus away. "Pignite's evolving!" Buki cried from the stands. Pignite's form changed, growing quite a bit, but still smaller than Haxorus.

The glow faded, revealing Pignite's new form. He was a giant boar-like Pokemon, with a flaming beard and thick arms. He snorted, and black smoke shot from his nostrils.

"_Emboar!_" Masuku pulled out his Pokedex in awe. _Emboar. The Mega Fire Pig Pokemon. It is the final form of Tepig. It can throw a fire punch by setting its fists on fire with its fiery chin. It cares deeply about its friends._

"Amazing!" Masuku declared. He turned to Drayden. "Still think you're gonna win so easily?" Drayden shook his head. "Not as easily as I thought, but the result will be the same! Haxorus, Outrage!" The Dragon-type ran in once more, eyes aglow.

"Sorry, Drayden!" Masuku cried out. "We're winning this one! Emboar, use Heat Crash!" Emboar's arms snapped out, grabbing hold of the Axe Jaw Pokemon's glowing limbs. The Mega Fire Pig Pokemon crouched, preparing to spring. The large Pokemon jumped high, vaulting into the air.

"Haxorus, after it!" The Dragon-type leaped after the dual type. Emboar was coming down from his jump and threw his limbs out wide. His body ignited, caught in a bright corona of orange flames. The two Pokemon slammed into each other, Haxorus lashing out with a fury of powerful blows. Emboar's weight forced the Axe Jaw Pokemon back toward the ground.

The two crashed into the field, throwing up dust and rock as Emboar embedded them into the ground. Iris waited with baited breath before she called the match. Drayden and Masuku looked into the dust cloud, each believing he came out victorious. There was a sound of shifting rubble and the dust was illuminated but flickering flames. Emboar swept his arm through the cloud, dispelling it. He carried Drayden's Haxorus over his shoulder.

"Haxorus is unable to battle! Emboar wins, and the victory goes to Masuku Shiyousha!" Ash and Buki cheered along with the crowd as Drayden walked across the field. Emboar carefully lowered Haxorus to the ground at the mayor's feet.

"Thank you." Drayden nodded to the large Fire-type. "I believe this belongs to you." He handed Masuku the Legend Badge. Masuku grinned, eyes shining. "You're a truly impressive trainer, Masuku Shiyousha."

"You weren't bad yourself, sir." Masuku said humbly. "With this, you're qualified to make the journey to the Unova League in Vertress City." Masuku nodded. "I know you'll do well." The mayor clapped Masuku on the shoulder before turning to address his citizens.

"There you have it!" He called. "That's two of our challengers who've managed to defeat Iris and I!" He looked to the stands, staring into Buki's eyes. "But what of their companion?! Will Buki Shiyousha be able to defeat us?! I ask you to join us once more tomorrow, at two-o'clock! We will decide then if Buki is strong enough to overcome Vertress City!"

Buki nodded, acknowledging Drayden's challenge. He understood. If he wasn't able to defeat Drayden and Iris, there was no way he'd be able to beat N in the Unova League. _"I won't lose here."_ He vowed silently. _"The entire world is at stake."_

* * *

**And there it is! After a long hiatus, I've returned! I hope the long wait has only made you readers more eager to read about the journey of Buki and his friends. One more Gym Battle and the boys are on their way to Vertress City and the Unova League! On their way to N. Can they overcome the League and defeat Team Plasma's forces that are sure to be massing in Vertress? Only time…and myself…can tell. Please, join me for the exciting climax of the Opelucid City Gym battle, and for the last few chapters of Pokemon: Best Wishes! Ja Nae.**


	23. Opelucid City - The Legend Badge Part II

**Pokemon: Best Wishes**

**Hey, guys. DM445 here. Been awhile since the last update, huh? That's because college was being a pain, and I was working for about six months. Cart pusher at Wal-Mart. I hated it, they got rid of me, and it's done with. So, I'm gonna try and upload new chapters for as many fics as I can before I start working again. Last time, the boys took on the Opelucid Gym. Drayden was a powerful opponent, but Masuku and Ash have walked away with their Legend Badges. This chapter takes place during the next day, as Buki prepares to take on Drayden himself.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Opelucid City - The Legend Badge (Part II)**

* * *

The cheers of the crowd and the pounding of the blood in his ears were the only things Buki could hear as he stood on the battlefield of Opelucid City that morning. Buki had awoken early, desiring more training before the fated battle.

Drayden had announced over the city's PA system that the battle would be taking place soon, and citizens from all over the city were packing the stands. Each one hoped for a more exciting battle than the ones the day before.

Iris stood across from our hero. She too had woken early for a little training. She was a little peeved about losing both her Pokemon to Masuku's Gurdurr. She was determined for Buki to lose before Drayden even had to step onto the field.

"Citizens!" Drayden boomed, standing in the center ring of the field. The crowd quieted. "Welcome back to the Opelucid Gym! Today features Buki Shiyousha, a challenger from Driftveil City, battling with Iris and I!" The cheers started up again, and Drayden paused until they finished.

"If Buki is half as strong a trainer as the two we fought yesterday, this will be a great and challenging battle! Be prepared for anything!" Drayden left the field, climbing onto his judging perch. "If both trainers are ready?"

Buki nodded, pulling a Pokeball from his obi. Iris grinned, pulling out a Pokeball too. "Then bring out your Pokemon and begin!" Iris threw her Pokeball first. "Let's go, Druddigon!" Buki smiled down at the Pokeball he brought out.

"I choose you, Scrafty!" He cried, flinging the Pokeball. The Pokemon that appeared from the ball wasn't one of Buki's usual fighters. Scrafty stood a good two feet shorter than the slouching Dragon-type, arms crossed and smirking. He took one hand and swept it across his scaly Mohawk, then brought the hand down across his neck. A silent taunt. _"You're goin' down."_

* * *

_It was a few hours after the trio made their way back to their room at the Pokemon Center. The sun had just began to set, and Buki was lost in thought. Iris and Drayden had proven themselves powerful opponents. Despite the training he and Sawk had gone through the night before, he was still apprehensive about his battle._

_ "What's wrong, brother?" Masuku asked. Buki shook his head. "I'm just worried I may not be prepared enough for tomorrow." Masuku raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard anything but confidence from you." Buki looked at his brother. _

"_I mean, think about it. You've always said that you believe in your Pokemon enough to overcome anything. That's why you're gonna beat the Gym tomorrow, and that's why N's plan won't work."_

_ "Thanks, Masuku." Buki smiled. He raised a brow in thought. "Hey, you should let me borrow your Scraggy." Masuku looked confused. "Why do you need Scraggy? You already have so many powerful Pokemon." Buki laughed._

_ "You don't realize how much potential Scraggy has." He pulled out a Pokeball. "Here. Take Ferroseed." Masuku grabbed the Pokeball, unsure of what Buki was planning. He handed over Scraggy's Pokeball. _

_ "Trust me, Masuku. You'll see tomorrow just how powerful Scraggy can be. You'll be proud." Masuku grinned. "I'm already proud of Scraggy. Just because he gives his all every time he battles." Buki smiled, leaving the room. He passed Ash as he made his way to the exit._

_ "Hey, Buki. Where're you going?" The hat-wearing trainer asked. Buki stopped, reaching out to pet Pikachu from where he sat on Ash's shoulder. "I'm heading outside to train." He walked off again. "Good luck."_

* * *

"Scraggy _evolved?!_" Masuku questioned. Buki nodded with a smirk. "He did." Buki looked back to his brother. "I told you, Masuku. You're going to be proud." He looked at Scrafty.

"You ready?" "Scraft." In the stands, Masuku pulled out his Pokedex. _Scrafty. The Hoodlum Pokemon, and the evolved form of Scraggy. It pulls up its shed skin to protect itself as it kicks. It can smash concrete blocks with its attacks. The one with the biggest crest is the leader._

"Scrafty's amazing." Masuku muttered. Iris watched the exchange between the brothers with a frown. "That's all well and good, but you're in the middle of a Gym Battle! Druddigon, Superpower!" The Cave Pokemon lumbered forward, glowing blue. Buki smirked.

"Let's show them what you can do, shall we?" "Scrafty." The Hoodlum Pokemon smirked too, nodding. "Dragon Dance." Scrafty brought his fists up in front of his face, leaping back and forth from foot to foot. Energy swirled around him. Druddigon grew closer, bearing down on the dual-type.

"Dodge, and keep using Dragon Dance!" Scrafty deftly leaped to the side, avoiding the destructive punch thrown his way. He kept moving, powering up even further. "Druddigon!" Iris shrieked. "Hit it! Superpower!"

"Take it!" Buki commanded. Scrafty nodded, crossing his arms over his face and letting the Dragon-type slug him. The ground under Scrafty's feet cracked as the Hoodlum Pokemon was pressed into it.

"Ice Punch." Buki said, calmly. Masuku's eyes widened. "He taught Scrafty Ice Punch?!" Scrafty threw his arms out, knocking Druddigon off balance. The dual-type leaped forward, throwing a right hook that glowed with swirling white energy. As his fist crashed into Druddigon's chest, the energy changed to bright blue.

There was a cracking noise. From the point of impact, ice was crawling up the Dragon-type's body. For a second, it seemed like that was all that would happen. Then, Scrafty shifted his upper body, right shoulder moving forward. The ice impacted around his fist, shattering and throwing Druddigon across the field with the impact.

The Cave Pokemon crashed into the wall behind Iris, whose eyes were opened wide. The attack had happened so fast that she'd nearly missed it. Of course, she knew what Dragon Dance did. It raised the user's attack by one stage, and added a stage to its speed. Scrafty had gotten two Dragon Dances, and hit with a super effective move.

"Druddigon is unable to battle." Drayden declared. Iris still made no move. "Iris." Drayden called. The girl shook her head. "I don't believe it." She muttered, returning Druddigon to its Pokeball.

"That Scrafty is so powerful." She brought out her next Pokeball, apprehensively. "Fraxure, come out!" Buki smiled, turning to address his brother. "I told you, Masuku. Scraggy had so much potential. I trained him like this to help you out when we make our way to Vertress City."

"You might want to pay attention!" Ash called out. "Pika-pi!" Buki whirled around to see Fraxure surrounded by energy. "I can also make use of Dragon Dance!" Iris cried out. "Dragon Claw!" Fraxure began to move, quickly closing the gap between the two Pokemon.

_"Damn."_ Buki thought. _"One Dragon Dance made it a little faster than Scrafty."_ He made a decision. "Drain Punch!" An orb of green energy flickered to life around Scrafty's fist. Fraxure's claws came down on Scrafty, biting into each of the Hoodlum Pokemon's shoulders.

"Scraft!" Despite his impeded mobility, Scrafty drove his fist into Fraxure's stomach. The green orb burst, sending light from Fraxure into Scrafty. After a few seconds of contact, the Axe Jaw Pokemon had to back away from the dual-type.

Scrafty looked just as healthy as before, having taken little to no damage after the power of his Drain Punch. Fraxure didn't look _too_ weakened, but it was obvious the Dragon-type hadn't been expecting the powerful Fighting-type attack.

"I can see we'll have to pull out all the stops to beat that Scrafty. But we _will_ beat that Scrafty." Iris stared at Masuku. "I refuse to lose to the same person twice! Especially some kid!" Scrafty stiffened when she said 'kid.' He tilted his head to look at the girl.

"Ooh." Buki cringed. "That may've been a mistake." Iris looked mad. "See, Masuku said something yesterday about Fighting-types being proud and resilient. Scrafty's really attached to his trainer." Buki held up Scrafty's Pokeball. It was pink with white hearts on the sides.

"This is a Heal Ball." Buki explained. "When we found Scrafty on Route 4, he had barely survived a fight with a pack of Sandile. Masuku saved his life. He doesn't take too kindly to people downing his partner."

"I don't care!" Iris growled. "Fraxure, Outrage!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon threw itself forward, ready to end Scrafty's reign of the field in accordance to its trainer's wishes. Eyes glowing, Fraxure lashed out at the Hoodlum Pokemon.

Scrafty pushed the Dragon Dance to the limit dodging Fraxure's assault. Without waiting for Buki to command him, the dual-type allowed energy to swirl around him again. "Good going, Scrafty!" Buki praised. "Ice Punch!" Scrafty moved forward, ducking under a wild swing from Fraxure, and brought his arm up in a swift uppercut.

Fraxure let the momentum of its swing bring it around, barely avoiding the Ice Punch. Fraxure then lashed out, crashing a rage-fueled fist into Scrafty's midsection. The Hoodlum Pokemon was launched away from Fraxure, landing a few feet away from Buki.

"Draco Meteor!" Iris commanded. Drayden's eyes opened wide as he grimaced under his beard. _"No!"_ He thought. _"Iris isn't ready! Using the Meteors at her level is too dangerous! Especially as angry as she is!"_ As Drayden's thoughts turned darker, he hit a button on the console of the judge's booth.

Immediately, metal partitions slid up in front of the citizens watching the match. A ring of metal dropped down from the ceiling, matching up to the partitions and sealing the people watching into a shelter that could withstand a bomb.

All of this happened at the same time as Fraxure executing its trainer's command. Fraxure glowed brightly before launching a sphere of orange energy at Scrafty. The dual-type dodged easily enough, as it moved erratically.

Buki's eyes widened, going back to Twist Mountain in his mind. The sphere erupted behind Scrafty, throwing him into the metal partition. His head dented the metal, and he slumped to the ground. The sphere split into fifteen other bursts that bounced around the field and caused major damage to anything not guarded by the partitions.

The swordsman threw himself to the ground, hoping to avoid the meteors as they crashed all around. Iris had also dropped to the ground, Fraxure standing over her. The Dragon-type reflected each blast that came near its trainer. Finally, the meteors stopped flying and the field quieted. Drayden pressed the button on his console again, raising the dented partitions for the citizens to see.

The field had erupted. Ground had been upturned and craters littered what hadn't. Scrafty was laying by the stands, unconscious, and Buki was sprawled out in a perfect circle of untouched earth. None of the blasts had come close enough to him to cause any harm.

Buki crawled back to his feet. He leveled a glare at the dark-skinned girl who was cowering behind her Dragon. "What the hell was that?!" He demanded. Iris looked about to cry. She hid her face as Drayden began to speak.

"Iris is in training to become a Dragon Master. Draco Meteor is the most powerful Special Attack a Dragon-type can learn, and only Dragons with the greatest of bonds with their trainers can attain its power." He looked to Iris.

"She has not complete her training, and Fraxure has no control over the move because of it. She should never have commanded Fraxure to use that power on a challenger when she has not perfected it. She is still a child." Iris looked closer to tears than before.

"Your battle with her is over. I am sorry." Drayden said. He looked to the citizens, who looked worried. "Never fear, citizens. Momentarily, I will battle this boy. We will resume after the field has been repaired a little." He walked to Iris, picked her up, and took her off the field. Some Gym trainers came out with Pokemon that began filling in holes in the field with Sand Attack.

Citizens began to leave the Gym, making full use of the time they'd been given. Ash and Masuku met Buki on the sidelines, near Scrafty. Buki returned the Hoodlum Pokemon to its Pokeball before returning it to his brother.

"I can't believe Iris got so pissed." Masuku muttered, holding Scrafty's Pokeball gingerly. Ash furrowed his brows. "She really didn't want to lose. She must take her training seriously." Buki scoffed.

"I understand training. She's taking it _too_ seriously if she would endanger people. I'm almost glad I don't have to keep battling her." He pointed to the exit, where some citizens were still passing through the doors. "Masuku," he began, "Head to the Pokemon Center and have Nurse Joy heal Scrafty. I'll make sure we don't start until you get back."

The younger Shiyousha nodded, rushing out the door. "Well, now you've got to face Drayden." Ash said. "You still have three Pokemon left. Think you're ready?" Buki frowned. "I'll have to be, Ash. We don't have too much time left before everything starts in Vertress City."

* * *

"Once again, I must apologize about the way the battle turned earlier." Drayden's voice boomed as he addressed his citizens. It was almost an hour later, and everyone was back in the Gym for the second half of Buki's Gym battle. Drayden stood opposite Buki on the field, with a Gym trainer taking on the role of judge.

"If you're ready?" The mayor asked the swordsman. The crowd cheered as Buki smirked, and both trainers threw a Pokeball. "I choose you, Excadrill!" "Druddigon, front and center!" The Cave Pokemon roared as the Subterrene Pokemon scraped his claws together with a screech.

"Go, Sandstorm!" Buki commanded. Excadrill crouched, swiping his claws across the earthen field. His claws kicked up a powerful dust that swirled around the field and made spectators cover their eyes.

"Now, let's move!" Excadrill seemed to vanish into the dust. "Hmm…" Drayden began. "You've increased your speed with Sand Rush. It will be much harder for us to hit you now, is that your plan?" "You've got it." Buki promised. "Swords Dance!"

There was a brief shimmer in the sand as Excadrill whirled his claws to raise his attack power. "There, Druddigon! Dragon Pulse!" The Cave Pokemon's head snapped in the direction its trainer commanded, letting loose a shot of bright blue dragon-shaped energy that illuminated the field through the Sandstorm.

Excadrill easily ducked out of the way, but Druddigon was on its way toward it. "Superpower!" Drayden called. The Dragon threw a fist cloaked in blue energy that was coming right for the Subterrene Pokemon.

"Drill Run!" Instantly, the mole-like Pokemon folded into Drill Form and began to rotate at high speed. Druddigon's fist met the spinning Pokemon's body, neither giving any room. "Metal Claw!" A light shimmered through the sand as Excadrill's body turned metallic. The power of his rotation increased and Druddigon had to grab hold of the Subterrene Pokemon with both hands.

"Go!" Drayden called. "Dragon Pulse!" Druddigon pushed Excadrill back a little and opened its mouth wide. It fired the Dragon Pulse as it let go of the dual-type, letting Excadrill fly into the blast. The explosion forced Druddigon back a few steps and Excadrill was thrown into the air.

"Earthquake!" Excadrill opened up and angled himself toward the ground, falling high speed. "Druddigon, stop it! Superpower!" The Dragon-type lumbered toward the point where Excadrill would impact, glowing blue. The Subterrene Pokemon rotated his body, returning to Drill Form, and shot past the glowing Dragon. The ground began to shudder.

"Hit it!" Druddigon whirled around, backhanding Excadrill away from the ground. The Steel-type crashed into a wall and dropped to the ground.

"Excadrill is unable to battle!" Buki brought the Subterrene Pokemon back to his Pokeball, replacing it with another from under his obi. "I choose you, Escavalier!" The dual-type appeared from its Pokeball, ready for battle.

"Hmm…" Drayden pondered. "The Cavalry Pokemon. Interesting choice. Druddigon, keep on the offensive! Dragon Tail!" "Dodge!" Escavalier threw itself back as Druddigon's glowing tail swept through the air where it had been standing.

"Swords Dance!" The Cavalry Pokemon crossed its lances in front of its face and began charging power. "Dragon Claw!" Drayden commanded. The Cave Pokemon leaped forward, bringing its shimmering claws down on the Steel-type.

"Iron Defense!" With lances still crossed, Escavalier shined silver as Druddigon's claws slammed down onto it. The Cavalry Pokemon was pushed into the ground, but took little damage from the powerful attack.

"Now use Iron Head!" Escavalier flung his arms to the side, knocking Druddigon's arms away, and shot forward with a glowing headbutt. Druddigon was thrown off its feet. "Keep at it!" Buki commanded. "Poison Jab!"

As the Cave Pokemon began to clamber to its feet, Escavalier moved in quickly. With lances glowing purple, the Cavalry Pokemon struck. Both lances shot forward into the Dragon's belly, pushing it even further back.

"Superpower!" Druddigon grabbed the crest of Escavalier's helmet with both glowing hands. The Dragon lifted the Steel-type and threw it back across the field, where it landed on its back with a crash. Druddigon began crossing the field, still glowing, to the spot where Escavalier was trying to get up.

"X-Scissor!" Buki called. Escavalier crossed its lances. When Druddigon got close the Cavalry Pokemon slashed out with both lances, leaving an X shaped burst of energy that crashed into the Cave Pokemon. Druddigon fell back, giving Escavalier enough time to get up.

"Now we're back in this!" Buki declared. "Escavalier, use Aerial Ace!" Escavalier moved forward, picking up speed until a shimmering aura appeared around it. The Cavalry Pokemon vanished for an instant, reappearing in front of the Dragon-type. Before Druddigon could respond, Escavalier thrust its lances into the Cave Pokemon's gut.

The power of Escavalier's Aerial Ace lifted Druddigon off the ground and tossed the heavy Pokemon back as though it weighed nothing. Druddigon brushed the hit off easily enough, getting back to its feet without much trouble.

"I think this part of our battle has gone on long enough." Drayden decided. "Use Outrage." Druddigon's eyes took on a blue glow as it began to walk toward Escavalier. "Aerial Ace!" Buki commanded. Escavalier vanished as the Sandstorm died out.

Druddigon threw out an arm, catching the invisible Cavalry Pokemon. Escavalier flickered back into sight before flying across the field. Druddigon continued walking toward it. "C'mon, Escavalier. Get up!" Buki said. The dual-type rose slowly, with Druddigon closing in.

"Pick up the pace, Druddigon." Drayden commanded. The Cave Pokemon nodded before flinging itself at Escavalier. "Move!" Buki called. The Cavalry Pokemon ducked under Druddigon's wild swings and put a little distance between the two of them. Druddigon whirled and attacked again.

"Finish it!" Drayden called. "Megahorn!" Buki demanded. Escavalier shot forward to meet Druddigon, thrusting both its glowing lances into the Cave Pokemon just as the Dragon brought both glowing fists down onto the Cavalry Pokemon's hard carapace.

Escavalier was smashed into the ground while Druddigon was thrown into the wall by the force of their opponent's moves. Escavalier tried pulling itself from the crater left by Outrage, but gave up. Meanwhile, Druddigon tried to pull itself out of the wall to continue but couldn't.

"Escavalier and Druddigon are both unable to battle! It's a double knock-out!" The referee cried. Both trainers smiled as they brought their Pokemon back, crowd cheering loudly. "Looks like it comes down to this." Buki remarked. Drayden nodded. "Indeed."

Both trainers launched their final Pokeball. "Go, Haxorus!" "Let's end this! Lend me your strength, Samurott!" The Axe Jaw Pokemon whipped its head back and forth, blades gleaming, while the Formidable Pokemon roared out.

"Aqua Jet!" Samurott leaped up, spinning in midair as water encased his body. As he shot forward, the rotation tempered the Aqua Jet into a spiraling point. Drayden didn't give a command, letting Samurott get close.

"Dual Chop!" Haxorus sidestepped, hands glowing, and delivered a powerful chop to Samurott's neck that penetrated the water. Samurott gaped, being knocked from the water, as Haxorus lashed out with the other hand. The Water-type was sent sprawling, disoriented from the assault.

After a second or two of laying on the field, Samurott got back to his feet. "Swords Dance!" Buki called. Samurott rose up onto his hind legs, unsheathing his seamitars. The Formidable Pokemon whirled the blades around, drawing power into them.

"Dragon Dance." Drayden said, calmly. Haxorus stood still, energy whirling around him. "Dragon Claw." All the energy swirling around the Dragon-type transferred to its claws, extending them and making them glow. The Axe Jaw Pokemon ran at Samurott, faster and more powerful.

"Meet it with Razor Shell!" Buki commanded. The bearded Pokemon jumped forward with his hind legs, launching himself at the Dragon-type. Blue energy surrounded the blades of the seamitars as Samurott brought them down on Haxorus. The Dragon-type was forced to use his claws to parry Samurott's blows, while the reach of the seamitars kept the Water-type at a distance.

"Keep going!" Buki urged. Samurott rained powerful blows down that were blocked easily. "Hydro Pump!" Haxorus had just blocked a slash that was brought down on his head and was unprepared for the blast that blew it back away from Samurott.

The Formidable Pokemon moved in, finally scoring a blow on the Axe Jaw Pokemon by slashing the Dragon-type from shoulder to hip. Haxorus fell back, feeling the full force of Samurott's seamitar.

The Water-type took the seamitar in his right hand and stabbed it into the ground on his left side. He slashed toward Haxorus, unleashing a blade of water that raced along the field toward the Dragon. Then, Samurott did the same with the blade in his left hand.

The X-shaped wall of water rushed toward Haxorus, who was just getting to its feet. "Dragon Pulse!" Drayden commanded. Haxorus opened wide, unleashing a blast of blue energy that took the shape of a dragon. The two attacks collided, throwing up a steam that cloaked the entire battlefield.

"Guillotine!" Drayden called out. Haxorus ran through the steam toward the place it knew Samurott stood. Samurott stood still, blades at his sides, listening for the Dragon-type. Without warning Samurott brought his seamitars up and crossed them behind his back. There was a clashing sound and a burst of sparks as the steam began to clear. Samurott had caught Haxorus' jaw blade with his seamitars, stopping the powerful Guillotine.

"Aqua Tail!" Samurott flipped forward, slinging sparks as his seamitars scraped against the Dragon-type's jaw blade. Haxorus began falling forward without the seamitars holding him up, and was caught totally off guard as Samurott's tail crashed into him from below.

Haxorus was raised into the air by the Aqua Tail before being launched back toward Drayden's side of the field. "Hydro Pump!" Buki called out. As Samurott somersaulted back to his feet, he fired the high pressure blast of water at the Dragon-type's flying form.

"Dragon Pulse!" Haxorus was flying upside down, facing the Formidable Pokemon as he launched his attack. The Axe Jaw Pokemon fired the Dragon Pulse, dragon-shaped blast colliding with the Hydro Pump. The two moves fought for dominance before bursting apart.

Haxorus hit the ground, rolling back to its feet. It whirled around and charged Samurott with Dragon Claw. Samurott threw his seamitars up and let them pierce the ceiling, where they stuck. Dropping to all-fours, Samurott ran forward with a glowing horn.

"Megahorn!" Buki commanded. The two Pokemon got close, with Haxorus throwing its hands up to catch the Water-type's glowing horn. With the boost from Dragon Dance along with Dragon Claw, Haxorus was barely able to stop Samurott's attack. Haxorus kept Samurott's Megahorn inches from its chest.

The two Pokemon struggled for a moment before Buki decided to try something else. "Aqua Jet!" Water swirled around the Formidable Pokemon, who stayed on the ground. Samurott tried pushing forward, but wasn't quite strong enough to bypass Haxorus' powerful grip.

Samurott finally gave up on trying to push forward with force and jumped, spinning the water around him. The water streamlined into a spear once more, finally giving Samurott enough reach to pierce Haxorus' defense. Unable to hold Samurott's spinning horn, Haxorus was forced to let go and let the Formidable Pokemon overwhelm it.

As Haxorus fell back, Samurott used the Aqua Jet to take him high into the air. "Samurott truly deserves the species name the 'Formidable Pokemon.'" Drayden commented. "It is indeed powerful." Buki nodded.

"Haxorus is strong too." "True. Which is why we have no fear of using the most powerful Dragon-type move to finish this. Where Iris failed, we shall succeed! Haxorus, Draco Meteor!" Buki stared, wide-eyed, as Haxorus fired a glowing orange sphere from its place on the ground.

The move closed in on Samurott, who was still in the air. "Samurott!" Buki called. Samurott used the Aqua Jet to get as high as possible before leaping from the water to grab his seamitars. The Formidable Pokemon's weight was enough to dislodge the seamitars from the ceiling.

Samurott whirled mid-air as the Draco Meteor shot toward him, bringing both seamitars to crash into the sphere of power. After a brief power struggle Samurott forced the Draco Meteor to fly back toward Haxorus.

Halfway down the attack burst apart into a dozen or more meteors that began to spread and leave Haxorus with no room to dodge. The Axe Jaw Pokemon took a few hits from the meteors before becoming overwhelmed by one of the burning rocks.

"Haxorus is unable to battle!" The referee called out as Samurott dropped back to the field. The Formidable Pokemon roared in approval, sheathing his seamitars. "The winner is the challenger, Buki Shiyousha!" Buki walked onto the field, placing a hand on Samurott's helmet.

"Wonderful battle, old friend." He praised. "Samu!" Drayden walked over to where Haxorus lay, pulling out its Pokeball. "I'm quite proud of you." Drayden said, crouching down. "Take a well-deserved rest." Haxorus nodded, vanishing into its Pokeball. Drayden stood, making his way to Buki's side.

"That was a marvelous battle!" Drayden declared, extending a hand to Buki. The teen shook hands eagerly. "There aren't many Pokemon powerful enough to repel the Draco Meteor." Drayden complimented. "Samurott has been well trained." The mayor reached into his pocket, bringing out Buki's Badge.

"I'm proud to be able to hand the Legend Badge to a trainer of such promise. You and your friends will do well in Vertress City. I see no problems for you to fulfil your destiny."

* * *

Later that evening, Ash, Buki and Masuku met Drayden at the gate to the next Route. "Following this Route will lead you to Vertress City. You might encounter powerful trainers and Pokemon on your way to the League, but you are strong enough to defeat anything that crosses your path."

Drayden looked at Masuku. "You are very strong for your young age. I expect you will far surpass any expectations you have for yourself in time." Masuku nodded as Drayden moved to Ash. "You truly have skill as a trainer to be able to bring out such power in Pokemon that most would consider weak. It is true that any Pokemon can be strong with the right trainer." Ash smiled.

"As for you," Drayden began, placing a hand on Buki's shoulder. "Much is expected of you." Buki nodded. "There isn't a doubt in my mind that you are up to the challenges Team Plasma will throw at you. Revive the legendary Dragon. Defeat N. You mustn't falter." With that, Drayden walked back toward the town.

"Are you guys ready?" Buki asked. Ash and Masuku nodded. "Pi-pika!" Pikachu chorused. "Ready for anything." Masuku said, putting out his fist. Buki rolled his eyes as Ash put his fist out with Masuku's.

"You guys can't be serious." Pikachu ran down Ash's arm, putting his tiny fist out too. Buki laughed, adding his fist. "Alright. Time for us to head to Vertress City. Let's not make Drayden's faith for naught."

* * *

**I think that was a good Gym Battle. Dunno about anybody else, but I like the way it went. That's finally the end of our heroes' Gym experience, but with only a little while longer before the Unova Pokemon League tournament begins will they be able to defeat N and his Team Plasma? If not, the Pokemon world as our heroes know it is over. The next chapter or two will focus on the journey to Vertress City. Then, hopefully, we can jump into the tournament. Thanks to everybody who's kept up with the story as it continues, and I hope I can keep entertaining you until the end of the fic. Ja Nae.**


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